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- Randmaa, Maria, 1957-
(author)
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Communication and Patient Safety : Transfer of information between healthcare personnel in anaesthetic clinics
- 2016
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Communication errors are frequent during the perioperative period and cause clinical incidents and adverse events. The overall aim of the thesis was to study communication – the transfer of information, especially the postoperative handover – between healthcare personnel in an anaesthetic clinic and the effects of using the communication tool SBAR (Situation-Background-Assessment-Recommendation) from a patient safety perspective.The thesis is based on studies using a correlational (Paper I), quasi-experimental (Paper II and III) and descriptive (Paper IV) design. Data were collected using digitally recorded and structured observations of handovers, anaesthetic records, questionnaires, incident reports and focus group interviews.The results from baseline data showed that lack of structure and long duration of the verbal postoperative handover decreased how much the receiver of postoperative handover remembered; the item most likely not to be remembered by the receiver was anaesthetic drugs. The variation in remembered information showed that there were room for improvement (Paper I). Implementing the communication tool SBAR increased memorized information among receivers following postoperative handover. Interruptions were frequent during postoperative handover, which negatively affected memorized information (Paper III). Furthermore, after implementation of SBAR, the personnel’s perception of communication between professionals and the safety climate improved, and the proportion of incident reports related to communication errors decreased in the intervention group (Paper II). The results of the focus group interviews revealed that the nurse anaesthetists, anaesthesiologists and post-anaesthesia care unit nurses had somewhat different focuses and views of the postoperative handover, but all professional groups were uncertain about having all information needed to secure the quality of postoperative care (Paper IV).The findings indicate that using a predictable structure during postoperative handover may improve the information memorized by the receiver, perception of communication between professionals and perception of safety climate. Incidents related to communication errors may also decrease. Long duration of the handover and interruptions may negatively affect the information memorized by receiver. To ensure high quality and safe care, there is a need to achieve a shared understanding across professionals of their work in its entirety.
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- Randmaa, Maria, 1957-, et al.
(author)
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Psychometric properties of an instrument measuring communication within and between the professional groups licensed practical nurses and registered nurses in anaesthetic clinics.
- 2019
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In: BMC Health Services Research. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1472-6963. ; 19:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: The most common cause of clinical incidents and adverse events in relation to surgery is communication error. There is a shortage of studies on communication between registered nurses and licenced practical nurses as well as of instruments to measure their perception of communication within and between the professional groups. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Swedish version of the adapted ICU Nurse-Physician Questionnaire, designed to also measure communication within and between two professional groups: licensed practical nurses and registered nurses. Specifically, the aim was to examine the instrument's construct validity using confirmatory factor analysis and its internal consistency using Cronbach's Alpha.METHODS: A cross-sectional and correlational design was used. The setting was anaesthetic clinics in two Swedish hospitals. A total of 316 questionnaires were delivered during spring 2011, of which 195 were analysed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the questionnaire. Construct validity was assessed using confirmatory factor analysis and internal consistency using Cronbach's Alpha. To assess items with missing values, we conducted a sensitivity analysis of two sets of data, and to assess the assumption of normally distributed data, we used Bayesian estimation.RESULTS: The results support the construct validity and internal consistency of the adapted ICU Nurse-Physician Questionnaire. Model fit indices for the confirmative factor analysis were acceptable, and estimated factor loadings were reasonable. There were no large differences between the estimated factor loadings when comparing the two samples, suggesting that items with missing values did not alter the findings. The estimated factor loadings from Bayesian estimation were very similar to the maximum likelihood results. This indicates that confirmative factor analysis using maximum likelihood produced reliable factor loadings. Regarding internal consistency, alpha values ranged from 0.72 to 0.82.CONCLUSIONS: The tests of the adapted ICU Nurse-Physician Questionnaire indicate acceptable construct validity and internal consistency, both of which need to be further tested in new settings and samples.TRIAL REGISTRATION: Current controlled trials http://www.controlled-trials.com Communication and patient safety in anaesthesia and intensive care. Does implementation of SBAR make any differences? Identifier: ISRCTN37251313, retrospectively registered (assigned 08/11/2012).
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- Randmaa, Maria, 1957-, et al.
(author)
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SBAR improves communication and safety climate and decreases incident reports due to communication errors in an anaesthetic clinic : a prospective intervention study
- 2014
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In: BMJ Open. - : BMJ. - 2044-6055. ; 4:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objectives: We aimed to examine staff members’ perceptions of communication within and between different professions, safety attitudes and psychological empowerment, prior to and after implementation of the communication tool Situation-Background-Assessment-Recommendation (SBAR) at an anaesthetic clinic. The aim was also to study whether there was any change in the proportion of incident reports caused by communication errors.Design: A prospective intervention study with comparison group using preassessments and postassessments. Questionnaire data were collected from staff in an intervention (n=100) and a comparison group (n=69) at the anaesthetic clinic in two hospitals prior to (2011) and after (2012) implementation of SBAR. The proportion of incident reports due to communication errors was calculated during a 1-year period prior to and after implementation.Setting: Anaesthetic clinics at two hospitals in Sweden.Participants: All licensed practical nurses, registered nurses and physicians working in the operating theatres, intensive care units and post anaesthesia care units at anaesthetic clinics in two hospitals were invited to participate.Intervention: Implementation of SBAR in an anaesthetic clinic.Primary and secondary outcomes: The primary outcomes were staff members’ perception of communication within and between different professions, as well as their perceptions of safety attitudes. Secondary outcomes were psychological empowerment and incident reports due to error of communication.Results: In the intervention group, there were statistically significant improvements in the factors “Between-group communication accuracy” (p=0.039) and “Safety climate” (p=0.011). The proportion of incident reports due to communication errors decreased significantly (p<0.0001) in the intervention group, from 31% to 11%.Conclusions: Implementing the communication tool SBAR in anaesthetic clinics was associated with improvement in staff members’ perception of communication between professionals and their perception of the safety climate as well as with a decreased proportion of incident reports related to communication errors.
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- Randmaa, Maria, 1957-, et al.
(author)
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The postoperative handover : a focus group interview study with nurse anaesthetists, anaesthesiologists, and PACU nurses
- 2017
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In: BMJ Open. - : BMJ. - 2044-6055. ; 7:8
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- OBJECTIVES To investigate different professionals’ (nurse anaesthetists’, anaesthesiologists’, and postanaesthesia care unit nurses’) descriptions of and reflections on the postoperative handover.DESIGN A focus group interview study with a descriptive design using qualitative content analysis of transcripts.SETTING One anaesthetic clinic at two hospitals in Sweden.PARTICIPANTS Six focus groups with 23 healthcare professionals involved in postoperative handovers. Each group was homogeneous regarding participant profession, resulting in two groups per profession: nurse anaesthetists (n=8), anaesthesiologists (n=7) and postanaesthesia care unit nurses (n=8).RESULTS Patterns and five categories emerged: 1) Having different temporal foci during handover, 2) Insecurity when information is transferred from one team to another, 3) Striving to ensure quality of the handover, 4) Weighing the advantages and disadvantages of the bedside handover, and 5) Having different perspectives on the transfer of responsibility. The professionals’ perceptions of the postoperative handover differed with regard to temporal foci and transfer of responsibility. All professional groups were insecure about having all information needed to ensure the quality of care. They strived to ensure quality of the handover by: focusing on matters that deviated from the normal course of events, aiding memory through structure and written information, and cooperating within and between teams. They reported that the bedside handover enhances their control of the patient, but also that it could threaten the patient’s privacy and that frequent interruptions could be disturbing.CONCLUSIONS The present findings revealed variations in different professionals’ views on the postoperative handover. Healthcare interventions are needed to minimize the gap between professionals’ perceptions and practices and to achieve a shared understanding of postoperative handover. Furthermore, to ensure high-quality and safe care, stakeholders/decision-makers need to pay attention to the environment and infrastructure in postanaesthesia care.
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