SBAR handovers: communicate the plan and confirm responsibility

Sending is not accepting

AHRQ describes a handoff as transfer of information together with authority and responsibility. It requires clarity about who takes over, acknowledgment by the receiver, and an opportunity for questions. An electronic entry alone should not be assumed to have been read or understood. ^[1]

Use a communication structure

SBAR organizes a conversation into Situation, Background, Assessment, and Recommendation or Request. AHRQ also describes repeating back the response to verify accuracy. ^[2] The structure helps staff state the concern and next action; it does not replace clinical judgment or the patient’s care plan.

An ICORP implementation proposal

Pilot a concise handover at one high-risk transition, such as a transfer between a ward and a diagnostic service. Include recent changes, outstanding work, contingency plans and the named receiving professional. Allow questions, test the format during normal workload, and revise it with staff feedback rather than adding every possible field.

Check understanding

Ask receivers to identify urgent tasks and the responsible clinician. Review missed tasks and communication discrepancies alongside form completion. A completed template is useful documentation, but it is not proof of shared understanding. These are local improvement suggestions, not a claim that one named form is compulsory for every hospital.