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Complex care regimens and poor team communication can influence the safety of patients with cancer. This project report describes how an organization used a standardized communication tool to augment physician handovers of oncology patients. The authors utilized plan-do-study-act cycles to refine the process. They found that each adjustment addressed challenges to the use of the tool and over time physician compliance with the process increased.

This prospective study examined 200 hospital nurse handovers. Documentation was missing in nearly half of patients' files, and dosage discrepancies were identified in 23% of cases. Use of strategies that emphasized the input and interaction of the incoming team—such as face-to-face verbal updates with questions—were associated with fewer treatment errors.