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Nursing Research Utilization Project: Implementation Plan for Ineffective Handoff Communication
Handoff communication is the exchange of vital information during the transfer of patients from one healthcare provider to the other. In this regard, it can be from one medical doctor to the other in the same healthcare facility or a different healthcare (Manser et al., 2010). The handoff method is critical to the healthcare of patients. Ineffective handoff communication presents a tremendous threat to the health and safety of the patient. According to Manser et al. (2010), around 80% of serious medical errors arise from the effects of miscommunication between health care providers during the handoff and transfer of patients. Indeed, these errors have been known to cause grievous harm to the patient and lead to increased costs of medical care. In the opinion of Manser et al. (2010), most of the healthcare facilities use the bedside reporting as the methods of handoff communications. These methods have been seen to be ineffective, as they do not lead to effective dissemination of information concerning the patient from one healthcare provider to the other. As such, the use of Targeted Solutions Tool is an efficient method that when implemented can offer effective handoff communication.
Targeted Solutions Tool is a method that can be used to measure the effectiveness or otherwise of the various handoff communications conducted from one department to the other in the same hospital or different hospitals (Wheeler, 2014). This plan will be used to improve on the handoff communication methods employed by the healthcare providers. The method will be implemented by the staff at the hospital requesting the permission of access to the TST Web page. The implementation will take six months as the staff must be prepared for the same. Additionally, according to Wheeler (2014), the application of the recommendations will require minimal restructuring in the roles of the staff as some will be deployed to monitor and record the changes. Afterward, they will then select the project; which is handoff communication. After the systematic data collection, they will then record their current performance in the TST website. In this case, the TFT will generate the graphical representation of their data and hence state the areas that need improvement in the handoff communication. It will then propose the possible solutions that the healthcare organization can use to better their handoff communication. Specifically, after implementing the recommendations, the TST will show the improved performance.
The theory behind the Targeted Solution Tools is that of the social construction. In this case, there is no single plan that can suit all organizations (DeKosky et al., 2013). Health care facilities fail to improve their handoff communication models because they are not aware of the areas where they miss the targets. As such, there is a need for them to have a tool that will measure their performance and give them an evaluation of their handoff communication different from other organizations (DeKosky et al., 2013). Additionally, health organizations lack the appropriate methods of handoff communication that are suitable for their individual healthcare organizations. This theory, therefore, led to the development of the TFT plan that offers solution to all those concerns.
The implementation of these resources does not require many resources like other methods. Specifically, the application requires the human resources in the IT department who will gain access to the TST website and submit their information. As long as the healthcare facility is accredited by the joint commission, then there are no financial costs involved. Additionally, the implementation will require data from the hospital records on the handoff methods that were in place before the implementation of the TST. The purpose of the previous records is to make a comparison before the application and after, so that any improvement can be duly noted. This would require that some staff is assigned the role of monitoring the progress of the plan. I will gather the resources by obtaining the permission from the healthcare organization and being allocated staff for the proposed project.
The expected outcomes are that the plan would decrease errors that are occasioned by ineffective handoff communication. Additionally, it is anticipated that the scheme would lead to reduced cases of readmissions. The outcome measures aligned with the expected results are that; TST can contribute to increased satisfaction for patients, families, and staff members (Bingham et al., 2012). Additionally, it leads to the massive reduction of the problematic handoffs. Organization applying the method will pose a significant improvement in their handling of handoff situations. Most importantly, the TST method will reduce the readmission of patients by an overwhelming 50% (Bingham et al., 2012).
This plan is very feasible as it has led to incredible results in institutions where it has been applied. In this regard, it has resulted in the satisfaction of both the patients and the staff who implement it. Additionally, it resulted in a decrease of 33% in the time taken for the transfer of patients from the emergency department to the inpatient unit (Elsevier, 2012). Moreover, the feasibility is justified as the plan has reduced readmission by more than 50% in healthcare organizations that have embraced it (Elsevier, 2012). Moreover, the resources required for the implementation of the program are minimal compared to the implementation of other related plans. Most importantly, only minor changes are needed to be made in the role and responsibilities of the existing staff so that the benefits of the use of the pan can be realized.