title: Narrative, written sign-outs and interns' and senior medical students' confidence: a randomized, controlled crossover trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Failures of communication during the transfer of patient care errors.
  
  
  METHODS
  We created a new format for written sign-out material, based on aviation industry practice and cognitive psychology theory, designed to improve interns' and senior medical students' communication during transfers of patient care responsibility. We carried out a randomized, blinded, crossover trial, comparing a new, narrative, written sign-out report to a usual written sign-out. Thirty-two interns and fourth-year medical students rated their confidence across various clinical tasks and answered clinical questions regarding hypothetical patients presented to them in written, new, narrative sign-out compared with the customary format.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no statistical difference in confidence when interns and senior medical students received usual versus narrative sign-outs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although a limited measure suggested some improvement in competence, the narrative format did not improve participants' self-rated confidence during patient-care transfer.
authors: Elizabeth
authors: E
authors: Chuang
authors: Tavinder K
authors: TK
authors: Ark
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Locurcio