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The reality is simple. Poor handovers create discontinuities in care that can lead to adverse events and subsequent litigation. Poor handovers are associated with delayed diagnosis, medication errors, inaccurate diagnosis and increased length of stay.
A New Zealand study of clinical handovers in a tertiary hospital found that the majority of house officers encountered a clinical problem due to poor handover between 7 and 14 times in their previous three-month rotation. This was put down to inadequate systems, poor leadership and lack of specific handover locations.
It can be argued that good handovers have never been so important.
Last year the European Working Time Directive came into force, limiting the number of hours a doctor can work. It has posed major challenges to the way care is delivered. Many royal colleges have been outspoken about how the EWTD has disrupted the continuity of care patients are receiving, as more and more patients are handed over.
In the Casebook article “Dropping the baton” Sara Williams draws on the research that has been done by patient safety leads and practising clinicians to examine how a patient can be handed over effectively, highlighting the salient points that doctors need to bear in mind when handing over a patient.