This present study found that potential for errors of treatment can occur due to inefficiencies in system design,organisational and individual factors (ACSQHC, 2005). For example, system design failure could be responsible for the potential of misidentification of patients and overdosing of medication, organisational factors could be responsible for differing values (what is important to include in handover and who is involved) while individual factors are associated with level of experience, education and type of relationships that occur between the handover givers and receivers. Regarding system design factors, our findings suggest that ED personnel receiving handover relied on memory and did not receive either electronic or written documenta-
tion during the handover. Also, the tools available to facilitate information transfer (such as the whiteboard) were not consistently used. Lack of access to documented information at the time of handover can increase the risk of missed information due to ED staff recall of the information by memory alone (Talbot and Bleetman, 2007). Room for improvement therefore exists in regard to enhancing system related communication and information transfer between
health care providers to minimise the potential for error.Organisational factors that lead to heavy workload and fatigue were also barriers to clinical handover. However these factors caused by ED overcrowding and impediments to patient flow are ongoing. To prevent vital information
from being missed in these instances, standardising key principles of clinical handover has been recommended (Owen et al., 2009; NSW Health, 2009). These general principles include: nominating a leader at each handover, documentation of handover and transferring information in a
predetermined format.In terms of individual factors, a lack of formal education and communication skills in team work may negatively impact on the information transfer during clinical handover.The findings from this study indicated that each health care discipline involved in the clinical handover held differing views of how patient information should be transferred.Both paramedics and ED participants agreed however, that being open to each other’s knowledge may decrease the risk of missed injuries or signs, would prevent adverse events
from occurring and assist with the patient’s health care plan.