IMPACT OF STANDARDIZED PROFORMAS ON QUALITY OF PATIENTS’ HANDOVER IN TRAUMA CARE sejalgrover98@gmail.com

PW05-06

IMPACT OF STANDARDIZED PROFORMAS ON QUALITY OF PATIENTS’ HANDOVER IN TRAUMA CARE

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India

Oral or Poster

The quality of care that a patient receives in the emergency department (ED) has a significant bearing on their outcome. Along with the severity of injury, the time lapse in reaching the ED and the pre-hospital care received; communication errors amongst the hospital staff also endanger the patients’ survival. Weak communication is known as a major factor responsible for 24% of missed diagnoses in ED. Few, if any, studies on handovers in trauma care have been conducted in India, and this study is an attempt to throw some light on the same.

A questionnaire that consisted of 10 necessary items, which should be delivered during handover of a trauma patient, including patient’s identification, mechanism of trauma, injury/s, vital signs, findings of history taking and clinical examination, para-clinical findings (imaging and laboratory findings), therapeutic measures, results of consultation with other disciplines, diagnosis, and plan were filled out for handover of all patients before and after education and application of a designed checklist for trauma patients’ handover. The study is divided into two phases - the pre-intervention and post-intervention period before and after an education session for the resident doctors of the morning, evening and night shifts.

There was a significant improvement in handover process of trauma patients before and after education and application of standardized proforma. Time taken for handover pre and post intervention was the same, with handover being more efficient in the afternoon shifts, and worst in the morning.

Checklists decrease errors and must be encouraged.