each intervention. Riesenberg et al.15 have recommended
several strategies that could be incorporated
during the implementation of interventions
to achieve more effective handoffs. These
include enhancing the communication skills of the
participants, applying technology-based solutions,
and executing handoff in an appropriate environment.
Moreover, the handoff process needs to be
formalized, and staff need to be involved in the
process by being educated and trained for their
roles. It is also important that the leaders of the
organization should value and support the process.
A majority of the studies of handoff
improvement based the measuring of their outcomes
on the effect on systems, information, and
healthcare providers. Only a few studies objectively
assessed the outcome for the patient. Of
these studies, it was found that implementing a
computerized handoff system and supplementing
the handoff with information tools appeared to
promote continuity of patient care.5,30 Using an
electronic handoff template and supplementing a
written report with a verbal telephone handoff
were also found to promote the quality of patient
care.19,25 However, to ensure that handoffs are
effective and ultimately promote positive patient
outcomes, further studies are recommended which
objectively assess the association between handoff
improvement and patient outcomes. Before
generally recommending any intervention to
improve handoffs, those interventions need to be
rigorously assessed to ensure their effectiveness,
which would eliminate the possibility of wasting
time, effort, and resources on unsound interventions.
Unfortunately, a majority of recent