At stop points, as shown in the graphic below, a patient is transferred from the care of one provider to another. The transfer includes a verbal patient handoff report. When the structure of this communication is standardized throughout the hospital to a format like ISBAR, the report is concise and allows the receiving provider to continue care uninterrupted. While the image is of an ISBAR checklist, it is the organization of the communication that we are illustrating here. As the report is given from one provider to another, the order of the topics communicated is exactly as it is on this checklist. Following this order of topics makes communications simple and concise. The receiving provider knows this order and quickly identifies and asks about missing topics. Standardizing these reports decreases errors and omissions.
Patient hand off reports should be given at all stop points in care