title: Improving situation awareness and patient outcomes through interdisciplinary rounding and structured communication.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To measure the impact of interdisciplinary rounds (IDRs) and the situation-background-assessment-recommendation (SBAR) communication protocol on staff situation awareness and patient outcomes.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Communication frequency and consistency improve speed and clarity, especially between disciplines. Daily IDR using SBAR potentially facilitates the process.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four patient review conditions were observed across 3 medical-surgical units of an acute care hospital: baseline, mobile (IDR only), paper-SBAR, and electronic-SBAR (IDR and SBAR). Observations occurred over a 9-month span. Review time (seconds), tools used, location, and field notes were recorded for 960 patient reviews.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patient review times were significantly shorter with IDR, decreasing from 102 to 69 seconds, but SBAR did not reduce times further. One patient satisfaction index did not change, whereas the other improved slightly. Length of stay did not change.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The structure, consistency, and familiarity afforded by SBAR and IDR resulted in improved situation awareness and provided process, staff, and patient benefits.
authors: Author Affiliations: President (Dr Cornell), Healthcare Practice Transformation, Dallas, Texas; Chief Nursing Officer (Ms Townsend-Gervis) and Advanced Nurse Clinician (Ms Yates), Baptist Memorial Healthcare, DeSoto, Mississippi; Assistant Professor (Dr Vardaman), Mississippi State University.
authors: Paul
authors: P
authors: Cornell
authors: Mary
authors: M
authors: Townsend-Gervis
authors: James M
authors: JM
authors: Vardaman
authors: Lauren
authors: L
authors: Yates
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003142:Communication; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration*; D062209:Patient Handoff / Q000458:organization & administration; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D055815:Young Adult