What acronym should you use when giving a handover?

The SBAR acronym is specifically designed for effective communication in healthcare settings, particularly during handovers. It stands for Situation, Background, Assessment, and Recommendation. This structured format allows healthcare professionals to convey critical information clearly and concisely, ensuring that the receiving clinician has a comprehensive understanding of the patient's status.

By starting with the Situation, the communicator addresses what is happening at that moment. This is followed by the Background, which provides relevant medical history or previous interventions. The Assessment allows the communicator to share their clinical observations or concerns regarding the patient's condition, and finally, the Recommendation offers clarity on what action or intervention is required next. This systematic approach reduces the likelihood of important details being overlooked and enhances overall patient safety during transitions of care.

Other acronyms mentioned serve different purposes; for example, ABCDE is more geared towards a patient assessment tool, PASS relates to fire safety techniques, and SMART is utilized for setting specific objectives and goals. Hence, SBAR is particularly effective for handover as it focuses on communication clarity and ensuring all essential information is conveyed.