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Identifying Emergency Physicians’ Strategies for Mitigating Workload Transfers during Inter-Shift Patient Handoffs – A Qualitative Analysis
DescriptionPatient handoffs are recognized critical points in patient care. In hospital emergency departments (EDs), emergency physicians (EPs) regularly handoff patients to one another at shift changes. Forty-four direct observations of end-of-shift handoffs were conducted at large ED in the Southeastern United States. Following observations, interviews were conducted with 12 attending EPs with interviews pertaining to the structure of handoff information, strategies to prepare for patient handoffs, and adaptive workflows utilized by EPs. Observation and interview data were analyzed using qualitative coding and subsequent thematic analysis. Findings from this study revealed four thematic categories: traditional sign-out workflows, importance of the state of patient disposition, adaptive strategies for mitigating workload transfers, and EP motivations and obligations regarding sign-outs. This study identifies adaptive workflows and mitigation strategies utilized by EPs during end of shift patient handoffs that demonstrate their ability to adapt and effectively reduce the amount of cognitive workload transferred during handoffs.
Event Type
Lecture
TimeFriday, September 13th8:50am - 9:10am MST
LocationGrand Ballroom
Tracks
Health Care