Tools mitigate the effects of disproportionate time allocation per patient and communication breakdowns
FRIDAY, Dec. 23, 2016 (HealthDay News) — The use of structured rounding tools improves time allocation per patient and communication breakdowns during hand-offs in multidisciplinary rounds, according to a study published recently in JMIR Human Factors.
Joanna Abraham, Ph.D., from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and colleagues used audio recordings of rounds (82 patients) to compare time allocation and communication breakdowns between two rounding tools: problem-based Subjective, Objective, Assessment, and Plan (SOAP) or system-based Handoff Intervention Tool (HAND-IT).
The researchers found no significant linear dependence of the order of patient presentation on the time spent or on communication breakdowns for both structured tools. For the problem-based tool (SOAP), there was a significant linear relationship between the time spent on discussing a patient and the number of communication breakdowns (P < 0.05). On average, there were an additional 1.04 breakdowns with every 120 seconds in discussion.
“This study shows that the use of structured rounding tools mitigates disproportionate time allocation and communication breakdowns during rounds. With the more structured HAND-IT tool, these effects were almost completely eliminated,” Abraham said in a statement. “Our results help to demonstrate the benefits of using structured rounding tools for reducing communication errors and improving patient care quality and safety. Although our results are preliminary, they present a strong case for further research into rounding communication.”
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