Handover of responsibility for the anaesthetised patient - opinion and practice.
Anaesthesia is a critical and complex process that extends from the pre-operative assessment through to the postoperative management of patients. Handover of responsibility for logistical as opposed to patient-orientated reasons may compromise that process of care. If such handover becomes inevitable with shift-based patterns of working, the implications need to be considered and procedures developed in order to minimise adverse consequences. This survey of national practice reveals little formalisation of procedure and a spectrum of opinion on the relevance of the key considerations. There is, however, a majority view amongst respondents that national guidelines would be of value and that professional defensibility would be aided by standardisation and documentation of any handover.
Horn
J
J
The General Infirmary at Leeds, Great George Street, Leeds LS1 3EX, UK.
Bell
M D D
MD
Moss
E
E
D000776:Anesthesiology / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004739:England; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D008499:Medical Records / Q000592:standards; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010561:Personnel Staffing and Scheduling / Q000458:organization & administration; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D012308:Risk Management / Q000379:methods; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires