The Prehospital to Emergency Department Hand Over Model (PEDHOM): a conceptual model addressing content, process, and communication in prehospital to Emergency Department handover

Abstract

Background: Patient handover is closely linked to patient safety. As the first interaction with the healthcare system, emergency department handovers are critically significant. Addressing content, process and communication aspects of handover has the potential to improve patient safety and decrease the incidence of adverse events. Methods: We used a sequential explanatory mixed methods study to gather data in Study One (quantitative) and Study Two (qualitative). Study One gathered questionnaires from 175 prehospital and 50 emergency department personnel. Study Two drew from the data in Study One and involved conducting face-to-face, semi-structured interviews from 15 prehospital and 15 emergency department personnel. Results: Study One provided quantitative data related to the importance of variables included in handover content and additional information related to handover within the ED from the perspectives of both prehospital and ED personnel. Study Two provided qualitative data on experiences and perceptions related to handover within the ED from the perspectives of both prehospital and ED personnel. These data were used to develop the Prehospital to Emergency Department Hand Over Model (PEDHOM) conceptual model that was synthesized from the findings. Conclusion: This PEDHOM addresses some of the content, process and communication aspects in prehospital to ED handover. The PEDHOM identifies barriers to effective ED handover and postulates potential solutions or strategies to addressing these barriers. The PEDHOM has potential for implementation in the ED and in healthcare environments other than the ED where interprofessional handover is practiced.