Staff at the 17-bedded acute mental health ward, Amazon Ward (St Charles Hospital), recently launched a Quality Improvement project to redevelop the process of patient handover. Patient handover is the system by which our responsibility for the immediate and ongoing care of a patient is transferred between healthcare professions.
The project, named Project Whiteboard, examined the approach of the multidisciplinary team in distributing relevant patient information and making clinical decisions promptly. The overarching goal was to improve the flow of information and ensure that crucial details are collected efficiently, thereby improving outcomes for patients.
Project Whiteboard specifically aimed to bridge the gap between the ward and teams in the Community Mental Health Hubs (CMHHs), recognising that improving these links would significantly strengthen the continuity of care. The project set an ambitious target: In KCW, 80% of patients’ CMHH teams should be contacted within 24 hours of a patient’s admission by April 2024 (including new referrals). Achieving this would enhance patient care by fostering a quick and responsive healthcare environment.
The project unfolded in several phases, each designed to address various aspects of the handover process. A crucial finding was the lack of a standardised protocol for exchanging information. To tackle this, the team introduced weekly meetings with doctors, nursing staff and an Expert by Experience (EbE). Two questionnaires were also produced and circulated in Amazon Ward to understand the views of staff on the quality of patient handovers. Using the ideas collected from these meetings and questionnaires, an information sheet, accessible to all staff, was created.
The sheet showed which General Practitioners correspond to which teams and how patients should be referred using this information. The Plan Do Study Act (PDSA) cycle was implemented by placing these information charts in accessible areas for staff.
The results of Project Whiteboard have been promising. Initial data indicates a marked improvement in the speed and accuracy of patient handovers. The 80% contact target was surpassed (82% achieved), 90% of staff involved believe these new methods are useful to them and 70% have agreed that the referral process is much easier as a result of these changes.
The success of Project Whiteboard has opened the door for further innovations in patient care. The project team is now exploring additional improvements, such as incorporating patient feedback into the handover process.