Seamless care between clinical pharmacists caring for patients with COVID-19 through the implementation of an electronic handover tool

ABSTRACT

Background: At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was predicted that hospitals would accommodate both a high volume of COVID-19-related patient admissions as well as frequent patient transitions of care, including discharge. Effective communication between healthcare providers during transitions of care is crucial for promoting patient safety and continuity of care. Description A mnemonic-based electronic handover tool was created to facilitate streamlined communication between clinical pharmacists caring for patients hospitalized with COVID-19. Action The COVID Handover Tool was developed, refined, and implemented by clinical pharmacists working in COVID-19 care areas in early 2020. The tool provided a standardized template to communicate basic patient information and pharmaceutical care issues. The patient-specific handover tools were stored centrally using OneNote™, and shared for updating amongst pharmacists as patients transitioned between COVID-19 care areas (e.g., intensive to acute care). Evaluation Pharmacists were surveyed to assess the tool's ease of use, perceived usefulness, and other subthemes. All eight clinical pharmacists working in COVID-19 care areas responded to the survey (100% response rate). The majority of respondents agreed or strongly agreed it was easy to learn to use the tool, and that the content was relevant and organized. Half agreed or strongly agreed that the tool made handover easier, quicker, and more effective. Responses trended towards neutrality regarding the tool being useful in respondents' jobs. Most pharmacists continued using previous handover methods in addition to or instead of the tool. Implications Survey responses suggest the COVID Handover Tool is intuitive, and facilitated organized and efficient patient handover between clinical pharmacists. Pharmacist perceived usefulness during the study period was mixed, and the tool has been updated further based on feedback. The tool is adaptable to any patient care area or population, and may be useful to other institutions for patient handover between clinical pharmacists.