Clinical handover

Action 6.08
Clinicians use structured clinical handover processes that include: Preparing and scheduling clinical handover Having the relevant information at clinical handover Organising relevant clinicians and others to participate in clinical handover Being aware of the patient’s goals and preferences Supporting patients, carers and families to be involved in clinical handover, in accordance with the wishes of the patient Ensuring that clinical handover results in the transfer of responsibility and accountability for care.

Action 6.08

Clinicians use structured clinical handover processes that include:

Preparing and scheduling clinical handover
Having the relevant information at clinical handover
Organising relevant clinicians and others to participate in clinical handover
Being aware of the patient’s goals and preferences
Supporting patients, carers and families to be involved in clinical handover, in accordance with the wishes of the patient
Ensuring that clinical handover results in the transfer of responsibility and accountability for care.

Intent

Strategies for improvement

Collaboration in clinical handovers

Recognising the role and the importance of family, supporters or guardians is critical to safe clinical handovers.

Effective communication within clinical handover processes requires the clinician to:

Place the person at the centre of the clinical handover process
Include accurate and relevant information about the person
Maximise the person’s choice and control
Understand the varying roles of the person’s family or supporters
Collaborate with those family or supporters in clinical handover.

Supporting people with intellectual disability to be involved in clinical handover

Providing accessible information about the handover – including what is important and recommendations for treatment or lifestyle interventions – assists the person and their family and supporters to understand what they need to do before, during and after an admission.

Involve family NDIS support services and primary and community healthcare services in a clinical handover

People with intellectual disability often rely on effective communication between their services to maintain their health and wellbeing in the community. A person may have a mix of supports in the community, including:

Family support
Advocacy services
Substitute decision-makers
NDIS support coordinators
NDIS service providers
Primary and community healthcare services
General practitioners (GPs).

NDIS services can include accommodation support or other community access supports. These disability services have responsibilities to support the health and wellbeing of the person with disability.

Ensure effective clinical handover to these services to assist those supporting the person to meet the person’s healthcare needs, update the person’s support needs and coordinate any follow-up that may be required.

Identify if there are primary and community healthcare services involved with the person and, with the consent of the person, provide a clinical handover or discharge summary.

Provide a discharge summary and/or outpatient correspondence for the person’s GP. This information will be important for the person’s follow-up and regular comprehensive health assessment. If the person has not had a comprehensive health assessment, the discharge summary may alert the GP that further assessment is required.

For people with no family, supporters or guardian

Many people with intellectual disability may not have family, NDIS service providers or a GP. In these cases, it is important to consult with the NDIS Health Liaison Officer or Local Area Coordinator early in the person’s admission to arrange referrals for support on discharge.