RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Patient handover in orthopaedics, improving safety using Information Technology
JF BMJ Quality Improvement Reports
JO BMJ Qual Improv Report
FD British Medical Journal Publishing Group
SP u207329.w2939
DO 10.1136/bmjquality.u207329.w2939
VO 4
IS 1
A1 Tim Pearkes
YR 2015
UL http://bmjopenquality.bmj.com/content/4/1/u207329.w2939.abstract
AB Good inpatient handover ensures patient safety and continuity of care. An adjunct to this is the patient list which is routinely managed by junior doctors. These lists are routinely created and managed within Microsoft Excel or Word. Following the merger of two orthopaedic departments into a single service in a new hospital, it was felt that a number of safety issues within the handover process needed to be addressed. This quality improvement project addressed these issues through the creation and implementation of a new patient database which spanned the department, allowing trouble free, safe, and comprehensive handover. Feedback demonstrated an improved user experience, greater reliability, continuity within the lists and a subsequent improvement in patient safety.