| Strategies used consistently/frequently | Strategic used occasionally | Strategies never used | “Strategies” residents considered goals for the hand-off |
| Face-to-face verbal update with interactive questions and answers | Additional update from practitioners other than the one being replaced (ICU, postanaesthesia care unit) | Limit interruptions during update | Include the outgoing team’s stance toward changes to plans and contingency plans |
| Topics initiated by incoming as well as outgoing | Incoming scans historical data before the update | Read back to ensure that information is accurately received | Provide the incoming consistently with the most up-to-date information |
| Limit initiation of actions during update (except for emergencies) | Incoming reviews changes to sensor-derived data before the update (ICU only) | Intermittent monitoring of system status while “on call” (prior to the hand-off) | Ensure an unambiguous transfer of responsibility |
| Outgoing writes summary before handoff | Outgoing has knowledge of previous shift activities | Outgoing oversees incoming’s work following the update | Make it transparent who is responsible to others involved in the care of the patient |
| Incoming assesses current status | Incoming receives paperwork including annotations (used when verbal hand-offs are omitted) | ||
| Information updated in a consistent order every time | Staff members overhear others' updates | ||
| Delay transfer when concerned about status/stability of process (for major problems) |
Strategies first reported by Patterson et al.1