Authors: Patel SM, et al.
Anesthesia & Analgesia 141(3): 468-481, September 2025. doi:10.1213/ANE.0000000000007261
This systematic review examined perioperative handoff interventions that incorporated handoff mnemonics. The review included 37 articles representing 23 unique mnemonics, most published after 2015. The Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation (SBAR) framework and its variants were the most frequently studied, appearing in 59% of reports, with nearly half showing at least one significant process improvement. Importantly, 70% of mnemonics were adapted into expanded lists or checklists, reflecting a trend toward structured tools. However, only 11% of studies measured actual patient outcomes, and just 41% used validated process measurement tools. Education and training were common implementation strategies (97%), though often described superficially and without interprofessional involvement.
What You Should Know:
Handoff mnemonics, especially SBAR, can improve perioperative communication, but the evidence is strongest for process improvements rather than patient outcomes. Expanding mnemonics into structured checklists is common, yet training often lacks interprofessional integration. More rigorous studies with validated tools and outcome measures are needed to truly determine the patient safety impact.
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Thank you to Anesthesia & Analgesia for allowing us to use this article.