Participation and experience of third-year medical students in handoffs: time to sign out?

ABSTRACT:

Background

Although interns are expected to be competent in handoff communication, it is currently unclear what level of exposure, participation, and comfort medical students have with handoffs prior to graduation.

Objective

The aim of this study is to characterize passive and active involvement of third-year medical students in the major components of the handoff process.

Design

An anonymous voluntary retrospective cross-sectional survey administered in 2010.

Participants

Rising fourth-year students at two large urban private medical schools.

Main measures

Participation and confidence in active and passive behaviors related to written signout and verbal handoffs during participants' third-year clerkships.

Key results

Seventy percent of students (n?=?204) responded. As third-year medical students, they reported frequent participation in handoffs, such as updating a written signout for a previously admitted patient (58 %). Students who reported frequent participation (at least weekly) in handoff tasks were more likely to report being confident in that task (e.g., giving verbal handoff 62 % vs. 19 %, p?ConclusionsDuring their third year, many medical students are participating in handoffs, although reported rates differ across training environments. Medical schools should consider the appropriate level of competence for medical student participation in handoffs, and implement corresponding curricula and assessment tools to ensure that medical students are able to effectively conduct handoffs.

SUBMITTER: Arora VM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3710385 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature