A handoff is not a telegram: An understanding of the patient is co-constructed

Michael D. Cohen; Brian Hilligoss; André C. Kajdacsy-Balla Amaral

doi:10.1186/cc10536

A handoff is not a telegram: An understanding of the patient is co-constructed

Michael D. Cohen, Brian Hilligoss, André C. Kajdacsy-Balla Amaral

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

98 Scopus citations

Abstract

Hospital handoffs are believed to be a key locus of communication breakdown that can endanger patient safety and undermine quality of care. Substantial new efforts to better understand handoffs and to improve handoff practices are under way. Many such efforts appear to be seriously hampered, however, by an underlying presumption that the essential function of a handoff is one-way information transmission. Here, we examine social science literature that supports a richer framing of handoff conversations, one that characterizes them as co-constructions of an understanding of the patient.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	303
Journal	Critical Care
Volume	16
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1186/cc10536
State	Published - Feb 8 2011
Externally published	Yes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Critical Care and Intensive Care Medicine

Access to Document

10.1186/cc10536

Cite this

@article{e76550e7da3b4041bcdbc36c0440db64,

title = "A handoff is not a telegram: An understanding of the patient is co-constructed",

abstract = "Hospital handoffs are believed to be a key locus of communication breakdown that can endanger patient safety and undermine quality of care. Substantial new efforts to better understand handoffs and to improve handoff practices are under way. Many such efforts appear to be seriously hampered, however, by an underlying presumption that the essential function of a handoff is one-way information transmission. Here, we examine social science literature that supports a richer framing of handoff conversations, one that characterizes them as co-constructions of an understanding of the patient.",

author = "Cohen, {Michael D.} and Brian Hilligoss and {Kajdacsy-Balla Amaral}, {Andr{\'e} C.}",

note = "Funding Information: The authors are grateful for the financial support of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (Investigator Award R36HS018758), ProQuest (Ann Arbor, MI, USA), and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (grant R36HS018758). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.",

year = "2011",

month = feb,

day = "8",

doi = "10.1186/cc10536",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "16",

journal = "Critical Care",

issn = "1364-8535",

publisher = "BioMed Central",

number = "1",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - A handoff is not a telegram

T2 - An understanding of the patient is co-constructed

AU - Cohen, Michael D.

AU - Hilligoss, Brian

AU - Kajdacsy-Balla Amaral, André C.

N1 - Funding Information: The authors are grateful for the financial support of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (Investigator Award R36HS018758), ProQuest (Ann Arbor, MI, USA), and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (grant R36HS018758). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

PY - 2011/2/8

Y1 - 2011/2/8

N2 - Hospital handoffs are believed to be a key locus of communication breakdown that can endanger patient safety and undermine quality of care. Substantial new efforts to better understand handoffs and to improve handoff practices are under way. Many such efforts appear to be seriously hampered, however, by an underlying presumption that the essential function of a handoff is one-way information transmission. Here, we examine social science literature that supports a richer framing of handoff conversations, one that characterizes them as co-constructions of an understanding of the patient.

AB - Hospital handoffs are believed to be a key locus of communication breakdown that can endanger patient safety and undermine quality of care. Substantial new efforts to better understand handoffs and to improve handoff practices are under way. Many such efforts appear to be seriously hampered, however, by an underlying presumption that the essential function of a handoff is one-way information transmission. Here, we examine social science literature that supports a richer framing of handoff conversations, one that characterizes them as co-constructions of an understanding of the patient.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84856722143&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84856722143&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1186/cc10536

DO - 10.1186/cc10536

M3 - Article

C2 - 22316097

AN - SCOPUS:84856722143

SN - 1364-8535

VL - 16

JO - Critical Care

JF - Critical Care

IS - 1

M1 - 303

ER -

A handoff is not a telegram: An understanding of the patient is co-constructed

Abstract

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this