Undivided attention improves postoperative anesthesia handover recall

Abstract

Background

For years, undivided attention during the presurgical “timeout” has been utilized as a precaution to ensure patient safety. The information relayed during the timeout is presented in a confirmatory nature rather than a delegation of new information. However, it is a standard of practice in which all members of the operating theater provide their full and undivided attention. Standards of patient care should be contiguous throughout the preoperative, perioperative, and postoperative stages of surgery. In this manner, it is expected that the same undivided attention afforded during the timeout should be maintained when transferring the patient to the postanesthesia care unit.

Methods

In this study, information was collected regarding handover of information during the transfer status postsurgical procedures. Data were collected via observing interactions between the anesthesiologist and the nurse during verbal patient transfers.

Results

This study demonstrated that the presence of undivided attention during the handover of a surgical patient in the postanesthesia care unit has a direct correlation with improved recall of the information discussed during handover.

Conclusion

Focus is on the quantity of information that can be recalled by the transferring nurse, and whether or not undivided attention affects the outcome. Analysis focuses on suggestions to better improve patient safety and recovery when being transferred in an anesthetic setting. The practice of patient handover should be standardized to better improve the safety and quality of medical care.

Keywords:

• communication
• continuous quality improvement
• healthcare quality improvement
• safety culture
• undivided attention
• patient care

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine, Cupecoy, Sint Maarten. The authors thank Ms Sarah Stowell for her help in reviewing this manuscript and for providing statistical assistance.

Author contributions

All authors contributed toward data analysis, drafting and revising the paper and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Disclosure

This manuscript has not been submitted for publication, nor has it been published in whole or in part elsewhere. All authors listed on the title page have read the manuscript and attest to the validity and legitimacy of the data and its interpretation and agree to its submission. The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.