Implementing a Comprehensive Handoff Program to Improve Pediatric Patient Safety

NCT01134419 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: X09-01-0040
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 84
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The investigators propose to test the hypothesis that implementation of a comprehensive handoff program (CHP) - i.e., implementation of a computerized handoff tool along with teamwork training for pediatric residents on inpatient units at Children's Hospital Boston - will lead to reductions in resident miscommunications / medical errors and improvements in workflow and experience on the wards.

Conditions

Patient Safety; Resident Workflow; Resident Experience

Keywords

Patient Safety; Medical Errors; Handoff; Sign-out; Resident; Intern; Graduate Medical Education

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Rates of resident-related communication and total medical errors

  Resident-related medical errors (including medication-related, diagnostic, and procedural) detected using a multi-pronged prospective surveillance methodology that involves 5d/week chart review, review of hospital incident reports, and collection of staff reports. Resident-related defined as involving a resident research subject. Communication errors are those medical errors attributable to communication failures.

  July 2010

Secondary Outcomes (5)

• Rates of total medical errors

  July 2010

• Minutes residents spend updating the signout; minutes spent in direct patient care; minutes spent working at computer

  July 2010

• Resident reported experience of care

  July 2010

• Rates of verbal miscommunications

  July 2010

• Rates of written miscommunications

  July 2010

Study Arms (2)

Computerized Handoff Tool plus training

EXPERIMENTAL

Computerized handoff tool implemented together with team training for residents

Other: Computerized handoff tool; Other: Team training

Team training only

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

No computerized tool

Other: Team training

Interventions

Computerized handoff tool OTHER

Informatics tool to aid in transfer of patient care information

Computerized Handoff Tool plus training

Team training OTHER

Teamwork training and revisions of handoff structure to optimize teamwork skills and verbal communications

Computerized Handoff Tool plus training; Team training only

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 60 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• all residents working on study units during study period, except as below

You may not qualify if:

• residents on the teamwork only unit who have previously been on the primary intervention unit

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Boston Children's Hospital: lead
• Harvard Risk Management Foundation: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Children's Hospital Boston

Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, United States

Location

Study Officials

• Christopher P Landrigan, MD, MPH

  Boston Children's Hospital

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NON RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Research and Fellowship Director, Inpatient Pediatrics Service

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: May 25, 2010
• First Posted: June 2, 2010
• Study Start: July 1, 2009
• Primary Completion: January 1, 2010
• Study Completion: January 1, 2010
• Last Updated: May 16, 2013

Record last verified: 2013-05

Locations

US (1)