Improving transitions of care – also called patient handoffs – is a national patient safety priority as communication failures are a leading cause of medical error. Different models have been developed to promote the accurate transfer of patient care information. In a multi-institutional study, a handoff program using the “I-PASS” mnemonic as a structured-communication tool was found to reduce medical errors and preventable adverse events in the inpatient pediatric setting. This video provides an overview of effective transitions of care within the emergency department and features the I-PASS mnemonic.
