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Design and trial of a new ambulance-to-emergency department handover protocol: ‘IMIST-AMBO’
Citation
Iedema, R and Ball, C and Daly, B and Young, J and Green, T and Middleton, P and Foster-Curry, C and Jones, M and Hoy, S and Comerford, D, Design and trial of a new ambulance-to-emergency department handover protocol: IMIST-AMBO', BMJ Quality and Safety, 21 pp. 627-633. ISSN 2044-5415 (2012) [Refereed Article]
DOI: doi:10.1136/bmjqs-2011-000766
Abstract
Background Information communicated by ambulance paramedics to Emergency Department (ED) staff during handover of patients has been found to be inconsistent and incomplete, and yet has major implications for patients' subsequent hospital treatment and trajectory of care.
Aim The study's aims were to: (1) identify the existing structure of paramedic-to-emergency staff handovers by video recording and analysing them; (2) involve practitioners in reflecting on practice using the footage; (3) combine those reflections with formal analyses of these filmed handovers to design a handover protocol; (4) trial-run the protocol; and (5) assess the protocol's enactment.
Method The study was a ‘video-reflexive ethnography’ involving: structured analysis of videoed handovers (informed by ED clinicians' and ambulance paramedics' comments); ED clinicians and ambulance paramedics viewing their own practices; and rapid at-work training and feedback for paramedics. A five-question pre- and post-survey measured ED triage nurses' perceptions of the new protocol's impact. In total, 137 pre- and post-handovers were filmed involving 291 staff, and 368 staff were educated in the use of the new protocol.
Results There was agreement that Identification of the patient, Mechanism/medical complaint, Injuries/information relative to the complaint, Signs, vitals and GCS, Treatment and trends/response to treatment, Allergies, Medications, Background history and Other (social) information (IMIST-AMBO) was the preferred protocol for non-trauma and trauma handovers. Uptake of IMIST-AMBO showed improvements: a greater volume of information per handover that was more consistently ordered; fewer questions from ED staff; a reduction in handover duration; and fewer repetitions by both paramedics and ED clinicians that may suggest improved recipient comprehension and retention.
Conclusion IMIST-AMBO shows promise for improving the ambulance-ED handover communication interface. Involving paramedics and ED clinicians in its development enhanced the resulting protocol, strengthened ED clinicians' and ambulance paramedics' sense of ownership over the protocol and bolstered their peers' willingness to adopt it.
Item Details
Item Type: | Refereed Article |
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Research Division: | Health Sciences |
Research Group: | Health services and systems |
Research Field: | Health care administration |
Objective Division: | Health |
Objective Group: | Evaluation of health and support services |
Objective Field: | Evaluation of health outcomes |
UTAS Author: | Iedema, R (Professor Rick Iedema) |
ID Code: | 94187 |
Year Published: | 2012 |
Web of Science® Times Cited: | 64 |
Deposited By: | Health Sciences B |
Deposited On: | 2014-09-02 |
Last Modified: | 2014-12-03 |
Downloads: | 0 |
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