Optimizing physician handover through the creation of a comprehensive minimum data set.

Handover is defined as the communication of information between individuals and teams of healthcare providers to support the transfer of patient care and maintain professional responsibility and accountability. Poor handovers are increasingly recognized as potentially dangerous for patient safety and are associated with adverse events. One suggested method to improve the timely and efficient exchange of clinical information at handover and to reduce discontinuities in care is through the use of a minimum data set (MDS). The objective of this study was to describe the process of developing a single comprehensive hospital-wide MDS, created through an analysis of current handover processes and customary information tools used to support physician handover (MDHO) at a large quaternary care pediatric academic health sciences centre. A 20-item questionnaire was administered in person to a senior resident or fellow on each of 49 services identified to objectively assess MDHO processes, including frequency, consistency, format, participants and duration, for each service. The presence, type, location, responsibility for updating and security characteristics of MDHO tools used to support MDHO were also analyzed. The MDHO tools currently in use were collected and analyzed to create a comprehensive cross-institutional MDS. The analysis indicates that MDHO is highly consistent in terms of frequency, processes, participants, duration and the use of written tools to guide information exchange across departments. However, many best practice recommendations for MDHO are not being followed. Further, many of the existing MDHO tools in use have a similar content structure and already contain a majority of the components of a comprehensive MDS. Current local consistency in practice will allow for improved acceptance and adoption of an MDHO tool that continues to meet the clinical and administrative needs of physicians but also addresses needs for data accuracy and security. These additional specifications can be met through the use of information communication technologies.

Interpretation of digital radiographs by pediatric critical care physicians using Web-based bedside personal computers versus diagnostic workstations.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the interpretations of digital radiographs by pediatric critical care physicians displayed on the bedside personal computer differ from the interpretations of images displayed on the diagnostic workstation. DESIGN: Paired comparison. SETTING: A 38-bed pediatric critical care unit in a 372-bed pediatric university hospital. SUBJECTS: Four pediatric critical care fellows and four pediatric critical care staff physicians. INTERVENTIONS: Eight critical care physicians interpreted 114 radiographs in random order on two separate occasions. Each radiograph was assessed for the presence or absence of five chest abnormalities, the correct or incorrect endotracheal tube position, and the position of central venous catheters. These interpretations were scored against a gold standard. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Sensitivity and specificity were calculated for the presence or absence of five chest abnormalities and the identification of correct or incorrect endotracheal tube position. Kappa was calculated to assess agreement in the interpretation of central catheter position. Regarding chest abnormalities, improvement in sensitivity on the diagnostic workstation was statistically significant for one critical care fellow. The specificity on the diagnostic workstation was significantly worse for two critical care fellows and two critical care staff physicians. Regarding endotracheal tube position, improvement in sensitivity on the diagnostic workstation was statistically significant for one critical care staff physician. There were no statistically significant differences between the two viewing modalities for specificity measures. For central venous catheter position, there were no statistically significant differences in the interobserver or intra-observer agreements between the two viewing modalities. CONCLUSIONS: With the exception of diffuse chest abnormalities, pediatric critical care physicians can use the Web-based bedside personal computer for clinical decision-making with the confidence that the decisions will be similar to those made on the diagnostic workstation.