EFFECTIVENESS OF STRUCTURED HANDOVER INTERVENTIONS IN IMPROVING PATIENT SAFETY OUTCOMES: AN INTEGRATIVE REVIEW

Abstract

Background Nursing handover practices has been recognized one of the leading causes of patient harm due to communication failure. The handover of patient information is an important nursing responsibility as it ensures and maintains a steady continuity of care that will not compromise patient safety Aims The objective of this review is to determine and identify which framework(s) for handover are associated with improved patient safety outcomes in in-patient hospital setting, as well as improved handover-related outcomes. Methods This paper is a narrative integrative review. A systematic search using comprehensive search strategies through electronic databases was conducted using PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, Cochrane, Web of Science and SCOPUS. This review included all types of primary studies that evaluated the impact of structured handovers on patient safety. All relevant literature was then further screened for inclusion, before undergoing a quality appraisal and risk of bias assessment. Results Initial literature identified 1,605 eligible papers according to our eligibility criteria. Twelve papers were included in this review, of which 9 were quantitative papers and 3 were qualitative papers. Other than for Medication Error, other patient safety outcomes like Patient Complication and General Adverse Events did not produce significant changes with the implementation of structured handovers in the wards. Meta-synthesis of qualitative papers revealed that bedside handovers were effective in xiii reducing the risk of patient safety being compromised due to the active patient participation involved. Conclusion/ Implications In spite of the findings, this review provided insights to the potential of structured handovers and its effectiveness at reducing the incidence of patient safety being compromised. However, due to the overall quality of evidence, more rigorous studies are required to enhance the literature surrounding the nursing handover communication process.