Assessment of a Brief Handoff Skills Workshop for Incoming Interns: Do past Handoff Experiences Impact Training Outcomes?

BACKGROUND: Patient care handoffs are a core professional activity that incoming interns are expected to perform without direct supervision upon starting residency, yet training in medical schools is inconsistent. OBJECTIVE: To implement a brief handoff communication workshop for incoming interns and determine whether learner-level determinants were associated with differences in training outcomes. METHODS: We conducted a one-hour interactive handoff skills workshop for all incoming interns at a Midwestern academic medical center. We performed paired pre/post-intervention assessments of participants' attitudes and ability to perform representative handoff skills. The results were analyzed in aggregate and based upon participants' prior handoff experiences using Wilcoxon signed-rank test. RESULTS: Ninety-nine of 108 interns (91.7%) completed both pre- and post-surveys. There was significant improvement in all 10 attitude-based questions (P ≤ 0.014 for all) and on the skills assessment (1.07 vs 2.16 on 0–4 point scale, SD 1.25, P ≤ 0.001). Results remained significant regardless of prior training, number of handoffs observed, number of handoffs performed, medical school, or residency discipline. CONCLUSION: A brief interactive workshop for incoming interns can improve participants' confidence and performance of basic handoff skills, regardless of previous training or experience.