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SBAR improves communication and safety climate and decreases incident reports due to communication errors in an anaesthetic clinic: a prospective intervention study
Uppsala University, Disciplinary Domain of Medicine and Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Caring Sciences. (Vårdvetenskap)
Uppsala University, Disciplinary Domain of Medicine and Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Caring Sciences.
Uppsala University, Disciplinary Domain of Medicine and Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Caring Sciences. (Vårdvetenskap)
Uppsala University, Disciplinary Domain of Medicine and Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Caring Sciences. (Vårdvetenskap)
2014 (English)In: BMJ Open, E-ISSN 2044-6055, Vol. 4, no 1, article id e004268Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Objectives

We aimed to examine staff members’ perceptions of communication within and between different professions, safety attitudes and psychological empowerment, prior to and after implementation of the communication tool Situation-Background-Assessment-Recommendation (SBAR) at an anaesthetic clinic. The aim was also to study whether there was any change in the proportion of incident reports caused by communication errors.

Design

A prospective intervention study with comparison group using preassessments and postassessments. Questionnaire data were collected from staff in an intervention (n=100) and a comparison group (n=69) at the anaesthetic clinic in two hospitals prior to (2011) and after (2012) implementation of SBAR. The proportion of incident reports due to communication errors was calculated during a 1-year period prior to and after implementation.

Setting

Anaesthetic clinics at two hospitals in Sweden.

Participants

All licensed practical nurses, registered nurses and physicians working in the operating theatres, intensive care units and postanaesthesia care units at anaesthetic clinics in two hospitals were invited to participate.

Intervention

Implementation of SBAR in an anaesthetic clinic.

Primary and secondary outcomes

The primary outcomes were staff members’ perception of communication within and between different professions, as well as their perceptions of safety attitudes. Secondary outcomes were psychological empowerment and incident reports due to error of communication.

Results

In the intervention group, there were statistically significant improvements in the factors ‘Between-group communication accuracy’ (p=0.039) and ‘Safety climate’ (p=0.011). The proportion of incident reports due to communication errors decreased significantly (p<0.0001) in the intervention group, from 31% to 11%.

Conclusions

Implementing the communication tool SBAR in anaesthetic clinics was associated with improvement in staff members’ perception of communication between professionals and their perception of the safety climate as well as with a decreased proportion of incident reports related to communication errors.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2014. Vol. 4, no 1, article id e004268
National Category
Health Care Service and Management, Health Policy and Services and Health Economy
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-220257DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2013-004268ISI: 000337363700043OAI: oai:DiVA.org:uu-220257DiVA, id: diva2:704484
Available from: 2014-03-12 Created: 2014-03-12 Last updated: 2023-08-28Bibliographically approved
In thesis
1. Communication and Patient Safety: Transfer of information between healthcare personnel in anaesthetic clinics
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Communication and Patient Safety: Transfer of information between healthcare personnel in anaesthetic clinics
2016 (English)Doctoral thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)
Abstract [en]

Communication errors are frequent during the perioperative period and cause clinical incidents and adverse events. The overall aim of the thesis was to study communication – the transfer of information, especially the postoperative handover – between healthcare personnel in an anaesthetic clinic and the effects of using the communication tool SBAR (Situation-Background-Assessment-Recommendation) from a patient safety perspective.

The thesis is based on studies using a correlational (Paper I), quasi-experimental (Paper II and III) and descriptive (Paper IV) design. Data were collected using digitally recorded and structured observations of handovers, anaesthetic records, questionnaires, incident reports and focus group interviews.

The results from baseline data showed that lack of structure and long duration of the verbal postoperative handover decreased how much the receiver of postoperative handover remembered; the item most likely not to be remembered by the receiver was anaesthetic drugs. The variation in remembered information showed that there were room for improvement (Paper I). Implementing the communication tool SBAR increased memorized information among receivers following postoperative handover. Interruptions were frequent during postoperative handover, which negatively affected memorized information (Paper III). Furthermore, after implementation of SBAR, the personnel’s perception of communication between professionals and the safety climate improved, and the proportion of incident reports related to communication errors decreased in the intervention group (Paper II). The results of the focus group interviews revealed that the nurse anaesthetists, anaesthesiologists and post-anaesthesia care unit nurses had somewhat different focuses and views of the postoperative handover, but all professional groups were uncertain about having all information needed to secure the quality of postoperative care (Paper IV).

The findings indicate that using a predictable structure during postoperative handover may improve the information memorized by the receiver, perception of communication between professionals and perception of safety climate. Incidents related to communication errors may also decrease. Long duration of the handover and interruptions may negatively affect the information memorized by receiver. To ensure high quality and safe care, there is a need to achieve a shared understanding across professionals of their work in its entirety.  

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Uppsala: Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis, 2016. p. 70
Series
Digital Comprehensive Summaries of Uppsala Dissertations from the Faculty of Medicine, ISSN 1651-6206 ; 1186
Keywords
anaesthesiologist, anaesthetic clinic, communication, handover, incident reports, information transfer, interruption, memory, nurse, operating theatre, patient safety, post-anaesthesia care unit, safety attitudes, SBAR
National Category
Medical and Health Sciences
Research subject
Caring Sciences
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-278726 (URN)978-91-554-9489-6 (ISBN)
Public defence
2016-04-20, Museum Gustavianum, Akademigatan 3, Uppsala, 13:00 (Swedish)
Opponent
Supervisors
Available from: 2016-03-24 Created: 2016-02-25 Last updated: 2016-04-04

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Randmaa, MariaMårtensson, GunillaLeo Swenne, ChristineEngström, Maria

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