A feasibility analysis of digital interface to transfer information during doctors’ handovers

Abstract

Objective: To report the pre-deployment analysis of a digital system to transfer patient information during physicians’ obstetric shift sessions. Methods: A literature review explored evidence concerning electronic handover applications in hospitals. A survey met local approaches used to shift changing and the expectations of managers’ stakeholders. To explore local practices, we analyzed a sample 251 obstetric handovers. Finally, requirements for the system were listed, and end-users evaluated mockups of the proposed design. Results: From the literature review, easy-to-use and integration with existing systems were the most critical requests to achieve user adherence. The main system requirement was using the hospital infrastructure to ensure full access to the current medical record. Mockup validation by end-users pinpointed items to improve a complete implementation and the positive acceptance of prefilled structured entries. Conclusions: There are blockages to overcome deficits in the quality of the information in clinical handovers to safely transfer patient care between doctors’ shifts.