Effective clinical handover communication: improving patient safety, experiences and outcomes

Funding: 2011: $308,642
2012: $141,605
2013: $267,998

Funding or Partner Organisation: Australian Research Council (ARC Linkage Projects)
NSW Health Administration Corporation (NSW Health)
Department of Health, Western Australia
South Australian Department of Health (South Australia Department of Health and Ageing)
ACT Health (ACT Health Partnership Fund)

Start year: 2011

Summary: Adverse events in Australian healthcare cost approximately $2 billion p.a. Conservatively, a third of this cost is attributed to ineffective communication between clinicians. A key site for communication between clinicians is handover of patient care. This innovative project aims to improve safety of clinical handover practices, thereby reducing the number of adverse events. It will describe, map, and analyse spoken and written communication in clinical handovers, and employ these discourse analytical findings to collaboratively improve handover practices. Outcomes will be communication systems frameworks and redesign of clinical handovers, leading to safer health care practices and therefore reduced burdens on health budgets.

Publications:

Eggins, S & Slade, D 2016, '6. Communication in bedside nursing handovers' in Eggins, S, Slade, DM & Geddes, F (eds), Effective Communication in Clinical Handover, De Gruyter, Berlin, pp. 97-114.
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Eggins, S & Slade, D 2016, '8. Clinical handover in context: risks and protections across a hospital patient’s journey' in Eggins, Slade, DM & Geddes, F (eds), Effective Communication in Clinical Handover, De Gruyter, Berlin, pp. 131-156.
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Eggins, S, Geddes, F & Slade, D 2016, '15. iCARE3: an integrated translational model of effective clinical handover communication' in Eggins, S, Slade, DM & Geddes, F (eds), Effective Communication in Clinical Handover, De Gruyter, Berlin, pp. 295-324.
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Macqueen, S, Woodward-Kron, R, Flynn, E, Reid, K, Elliott, K & Slade, D 2016, 'A resource for teaching emergency care communication', The Clinical Teacher, vol. 13, no. 3, pp. 192-196.
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Eggins, S & Slade, D 2015, 'Communication in Clinical Handover: Improving the Safety and Quality of the Patient Experience', SAGE Publications, pp. jphr.2015.666-jphr.2015.666.
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Eggins, S & Slade, D 2015, 'Effective Communication in Clinical Handover From Research to Practice', Walter de Gruyter, Berlin.

FOR Codes: Communication and Media Studies, Behaviour and Health, Public Health and Health Services not elsewhere classified, Language, Communication and Culture not elsewhere classified, Other language, communication and culture not elsewhere classified, Public health not elsewhere classified

Acknowledgement of Country

UTS acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, the Boorooberongal people of the Dharug Nation, the Bidiagal people and the Gamaygal people, upon whose ancestral lands our university stands. We would also like to pay respect to the Elders both past and present, acknowledging them as the traditional custodians of knowledge for these lands.