Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-ndw9j Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-04T19:51:06.003Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Audit of handover in an ENT unit

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 June 2011

D Ellul*
Affiliation:
ENT Department, Southern General Hospital, Glasgow, Scotland, UK
A K Robson
Affiliation:
ENT Department, Cumberland Infirmary, Carlisle, England, UK
*
Address for correspondence: Mr David Ellul, ENT Department, 6th floor, Institute Building, Southern General Hospital, 1345 Govan Road Glasgow, G51 4TF, UK E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract

Objectives:

To analyse the completeness and accuracy of the written handover in our ENT department, in line with Royal College of Surgeons of England guidance, and to improve standards.

Setting:

University Hospital, Cumberland Infirmary, Carlisle, UK.

Methods and results:

We prospectively analysed the written handover over two periods (of 30 and 18 days each). In the first period, the morning handover was present and complete on 77 per cent of days, present but incomplete or illegible on 6 per cent of days, and absent on 17 per cent of days; the evening handover was present and complete on 30 per cent of days, and absent on 67 per cent of days. To improve standards, we emphasised the importance of accurate handover to the ENT team and to junior doctors who cross-covered ENT. A reminder of the Royal College of Surgeons of England guidance was included in the handover book, and junior doctors received regular feedback.

Conclusion:

We demonstrated a substantial improvement in the quality and completeness of written handover, comparing the second and first audit periods.

Type
Main Articles
Copyright
Copyright © JLO (1984) Limited 2011

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

Presented at the ENT-UK Clinical Audit and Practice Advisory Group (CAPAG), Annual Audit and Evidence-Based Medicine Meeting, 9th September 2010, Coventry, UK.

References

1The Royal College of Surgeons of England. Safe Handover: Guidance from the Working Time Directive Working Party. London: Royal College of Surgeons of England, 2007Google Scholar
2General Medical Council. Good Medical Practice. London: General Medical Council, 2006Google Scholar
3Karnwal, A, Ho, EC, Pakalapati, SS, Tyagi, M. A survey of handover practices among ENT units in England. Clin Otol 2008;4:380–1CrossRefGoogle Scholar
4Pothier, D, Monteiro, P, Mooktiar, M, Shaw, A. Pilot study to show the loss of important data in nursing handover. Br J Nurs 2005;14:1090–3CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
5Bhabra, G, Mackeith, S, Monteiro, P, Pothier, DD. An experimental comparison of handover methods. Ann R Coll Surg Engl 2007;89:298300CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
6Post Graduate Medical Education and Training Board, National Training Survey report, 2009Google Scholar
7Ferran, NA, Metcalfe, AJ, O'Doherty, D. Standardised proformas improve patient handover: audit of trauma handover practice. Patient Saf Surg 2008;2:24CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed