title: A Handoffs Software Led to Fewer Errors of Omission and Better Provider Satisfaction: A Randomized Control Trial.
abstract: Computer-assisted communication is shown to prevent critical omissions ("errors") in the handoff process.
  
  
  
  The aim of the study was to study this effect and related provider satisfaction, using a standardized software.
  
  
  
  Fourteen internal medicine house officers staffed 6 days and 1 cross-covering teams were randomized to either the intervention group or control, employing usual handoff, so that handoff information was exchanged only between same-group subjects (daily, for 28 days).
  
  
  
  In the intervention group, fewer omissions (among those studied) occurred intravenous access (17 versus 422, P < 0.001), code status (1 versus 158, P < 0.001), diet/nothing per mouth (28 versus 477, P < 0.001), and deep venous thrombosis prophylaxis (17 versus 284, P < 0.001); duration to compose handoff was similar; and physicians perceived less workload adjusted for patient census and provider characteristics (P = 0.004) as well as better handoff quality (P < 0.001) and clarity (P < 0.001).
  
  
  
  The intervention was associated with fewer errors and superior provider satisfaction.
authors.affiliation: From the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia.
authors.forename: Markos G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Kashiouris
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens Greece.
authors.forename: Christos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stefanou
authors.affiliation: From the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia.
authors.forename: Deepankar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee.
authors.forename: Cecilia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yshii-Tamashiro
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia.
authors.forename: Ryan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vega
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hartigan
authors.affiliation: Chief Quality Officer, Department of Internal Medicine, Sinai Hospital of Baltimore.
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Albrecht
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland.
authors.forename: Robert H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Brown
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019300:Medical Errors; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D012984:Software