Communication during patient handoff in the areas of intensive care of a university hospital: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE To assess how the quality of communication is perceived during patient handoff in areas of intensive care. MATERIALS AND METHODS Cross-sectional study conducted at a university hospital. The study assessed the perception of the quality of information received during patient handoff and the chance of physicians working on-call shifts in intensive care areas mistaking the information of one patient with that of another one. RESULTS Information was perceived as being "good" quality when patient handoff took place in pediatric areas (85.7%), it was conducted in a calm environment (74.4%), it was performed according to a case presentation system (82.9%), the physician was responsible for less than 17 patients (91%), and training on handoff communication had been provided (87.5%). No significant association with the rest of the analyzed outcome measures was observed. The chance of mistaking information of one patient with that of another one was perceived as "low" when handoff took place in pediatric areas (95.2%), it was performed according to a case presentation system (80%), there were not more than three interruptions (84.6%), the physician was responsible for less than 17 patients (90.9%), training on handoff communication had been provided (91.7%), and the physician was a staff doctor (77.1%). CONCLUSIONS The quality of information received during patient handoff and the chance of mistaking the information of one patient with that of another one were associated with environmental, organizational and educational aspects that can potentially be improved.