Tool: I-PASS
I-PASS has become the preferred handoff tool for patient transitions in many organizations. It is an example of an evidence-based option for conducting a structured handoff. Your facility should determine a standard protocol for delivering handoffs and make it known to everyone.
Standard scripts can help make processes more efficient and can be easier for message senders to construct and for message recipients to process. If an organization has standard approaches to performing structured handoffs, they are more likely to avoid omissions that can harm patients or lead to unnecessary work for staff. This may be particularly important in virtual care settings, where handoffs take place without any physical contact between members of the team.
How To Use I-PASS Effectively
Providing the specific information identified in each step of I-PASS will foster effective handoffs within teams. In particular, addressing contingency planning will help ensure staff beginning to support a patient are prepared for situations they might not have considered before the handoff occurred.
Illness Severity
- Stable, "watcher," unstable
Patient Summary
- Summary Statement
- Events leading up to admission or care transition
- Hospital course or treatment plan
- Ongoing assessment
- Contingency plan
Action List
- To-do list
- Timelines and ownership
Situation Awareness & Contingency Planning
- Know what's going on
- Plan for what might happen
Synthesis by Receiver
- Receiver summarizes what was heard
- Asks questions
- Restates key actions/to-do items
Some healthcare organizations have developed other acronyms to support effective handoffs, including ANTICipate and SHARQ.
