Clinician perceptions of OR to ICU handoffs

Editor's Note

Ambiguous roles and conflicting expectations of team members during OR to intensive care unit (ICU) handoffs can increase risk of patient harm, this study finds.

Researchers conducted 38 interviews of clinicians involved in OR to ICU handoffs to characterize the relationship between handoff process failures and patient harm.

Dominant themes were early communication from the OR to the ICU, team member participation in the handoff, and relationships between clinicians. Clinician perspectives varied depending on their role in the team.