TY - JOUR
T1 - Telephone referrals by junior doctors
T2 - A randomised controlled trial assessing the impact of SBAR in a simulated setting
AU - Cunningham, Neil James
AU - Weiland, Tracey J.
AU - van Dijk, Julian
AU - Paddle, Paul
AU - Shilkofski, Nicole
AU - Cunningham, Nicola Yumei
N1 - Copyright:
Copyright 2014 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2012/11
Y1 - 2012/11
N2 - Objective To determine whether exposing junior doctors to Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation (SBAR) improves their telephone referrals. SBAR is a standardised minimum information communication tool. Methods A randomised controlled trial with participants and rating clinicians both blinded to group allocation. Hospital interns from a 2-year period (2006-2007) participated in two simulated clinical scenarios which required them to make telephone referrals. The intervention group was educated in SBAR between scenarios. Pre and post intervention telephone referrals were recorded, scored and compared. Six-month follow-up and year group comparisons were also made. An objective rating score measured the presence of specific 'critical data' communication elements on a scale of 1-12. Qualitative measures of global rating scores and participant self-rated scoring of performance were recorded. Time to 'first pitch' (the intern's initial speech) was also recorded. Results Data were available for 66 interns out of 91 eligible. SBAR exposure did not increase the number of communication elements presented; objective rating scores were 8.5 (IQ 7.0-9.0) for SBAR and 8.0 (IQ 6.5-8.0) for the control group (p=0.051). Median global rating scores, designed to measure 'call impact', were higher following SBAR exposure (SBAR: 3.0 (IQR 2.0-4.0); control: 2.0 (IQ 1.0-3.0); p=0.003)). Global rating scores improved as time to 'first pitch' duration decreased (p=0.001). SBAR exposure did not improve time to 'first pitch' duration. Conclusion In this simulated setting exposure to SBAR did not improve telephone referral performance by increasing the amount of critical information presented, despite the fact that it is a minimum data element tool. SBAR did improve the 'call impact' of the telephone referral as measured by qualitative global rating scores.
AB - Objective To determine whether exposing junior doctors to Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation (SBAR) improves their telephone referrals. SBAR is a standardised minimum information communication tool. Methods A randomised controlled trial with participants and rating clinicians both blinded to group allocation. Hospital interns from a 2-year period (2006-2007) participated in two simulated clinical scenarios which required them to make telephone referrals. The intervention group was educated in SBAR between scenarios. Pre and post intervention telephone referrals were recorded, scored and compared. Six-month follow-up and year group comparisons were also made. An objective rating score measured the presence of specific 'critical data' communication elements on a scale of 1-12. Qualitative measures of global rating scores and participant self-rated scoring of performance were recorded. Time to 'first pitch' (the intern's initial speech) was also recorded. Results Data were available for 66 interns out of 91 eligible. SBAR exposure did not increase the number of communication elements presented; objective rating scores were 8.5 (IQ 7.0-9.0) for SBAR and 8.0 (IQ 6.5-8.0) for the control group (p=0.051). Median global rating scores, designed to measure 'call impact', were higher following SBAR exposure (SBAR: 3.0 (IQR 2.0-4.0); control: 2.0 (IQ 1.0-3.0); p=0.003)). Global rating scores improved as time to 'first pitch' duration decreased (p=0.001). SBAR exposure did not improve time to 'first pitch' duration. Conclusion In this simulated setting exposure to SBAR did not improve telephone referral performance by increasing the amount of critical information presented, despite the fact that it is a minimum data element tool. SBAR did improve the 'call impact' of the telephone referral as measured by qualitative global rating scores.
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U2 - 10.1136/postgradmedj-2011-130719
DO - 10.1136/postgradmedj-2011-130719
M3 - Article
C2 - 22893691
AN - SCOPUS:84868197950
SN - 0032-5473
VL - 88
SP - 619
EP - 626
JO - Postgraduate Medical Journal
JF - Postgraduate Medical Journal
IS - 1045
ER -