Strengths, weaknesses of ICU hand-off pause discussed

Clinicians in a study described the strengths and barriers of the Intensive Care Unit-PAUSE handoff tool intended to reduce diagnostic errors for patients moving from the ICU to a hospital floor. The clinicians found the structured clinical note regarding pending tests and the status of high-risk medications to be useful. However, barriers included the frequent training necessary for residents who rotate in and out of the ICU and the possibility of duplicating the daily chart note. The qualitative study, published in the August issue of Diagnosis, included semi-structured interviews with intensivists from 10 academic medical centers. (AHRQ Journal of Patient Safety article, 9/27/23)