Volume 23, Issue 4 (Special Issue 2025)
Nursing and Midwifery Journal 2025, 23(4): 44-50 |
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Research code: A-10-4835-1
Ethics code: IR.UMSU.REC.1400.331
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Tataei A, Parizad N, Lotfnezhad Afshar H, Alinejad V, Rahimi B. Impact of an Electronic Handover System on Nursing Handover Performance: A Comparison between ICU and General Wards. Nursing and Midwifery Journal 2025; 23 (4) :44-50
URL: http://unmf.umsu.ac.ir/article-1-5533-en.html
URL: http://unmf.umsu.ac.ir/article-1-5533-en.html
1- Department of Health Information Technology, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
2- Patient Safety Research Center, Clinical Research Institute, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
3- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Medicine, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran.
4- Health and Biomedical Informatics Research Center, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran & 1. Department of Health Information Technology, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran ,bahlol.rahimi@gmail.com
2- Patient Safety Research Center, Clinical Research Institute, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
3- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Medicine, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran.
4- Health and Biomedical Informatics Research Center, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran & 1. Department of Health Information Technology, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran ,
Abstract: (199 Views)
Background: Ineffective clinical handover is a major contributor to communication failures and patient safety incidents. Electronic handover (e-handover) systems have been introduced to improve the accuracy and completeness of information transfer. However, comparative evidence regarding their performance across different clinical settings remains limited. This study aimed to evaluate and compare nurses’ perceptions of handover performance in ICU and general wards following the implementation of an e-handover system.
Methods: This comparative study included 59 nurses, comprising 29 ICU nurses and 30 general ward nurses. Handover performance was assessed across five dimensions, handover quality, efficiency, error reduction, time saving, and patient safety. Baseline equivalence between groups was confirmed. The e-handover system was piloted following individual training, small-group 45-minute sessions, and WhatsApp coordination; nurses received unique logins and used the system concurrently with paper handover for two months under continuous supervision and technical support. The Mann-Whitney U test was used for group comparisons. Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 26, and statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.
Results: After implementation of the e-handover system, ICU nurses reported significantly higher scores for handover quality (p = 0.016), efficiency (p < 0.001), time saving (p < 0.001), and patient safety (p < 0.001) compared with general ward nurses. Although error reduction scores were higher among ICU nurses, this difference did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.056).
Conclusion: Implementation of an e-handover system was associated with significant improvements across multiple dimensions of nursing handover performance, particularly in ICUs. These findings support the effectiveness of e-handover systems in enhancing communication efficiency and patient safety in high-acuity environments. Healthcare organizations should consider contextual differences between clinical settings and provide targeted training to optimize e-handover adoption in general wards.
Methods: This comparative study included 59 nurses, comprising 29 ICU nurses and 30 general ward nurses. Handover performance was assessed across five dimensions, handover quality, efficiency, error reduction, time saving, and patient safety. Baseline equivalence between groups was confirmed. The e-handover system was piloted following individual training, small-group 45-minute sessions, and WhatsApp coordination; nurses received unique logins and used the system concurrently with paper handover for two months under continuous supervision and technical support. The Mann-Whitney U test was used for group comparisons. Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 26, and statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.
Results: After implementation of the e-handover system, ICU nurses reported significantly higher scores for handover quality (p = 0.016), efficiency (p < 0.001), time saving (p < 0.001), and patient safety (p < 0.001) compared with general ward nurses. Although error reduction scores were higher among ICU nurses, this difference did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.056).
Conclusion: Implementation of an e-handover system was associated with significant improvements across multiple dimensions of nursing handover performance, particularly in ICUs. These findings support the effectiveness of e-handover systems in enhancing communication efficiency and patient safety in high-acuity environments. Healthcare organizations should consider contextual differences between clinical settings and provide targeted training to optimize e-handover adoption in general wards.
Keywords: Continuity of patient care, Intensive care units, Interprofessional relations, Medical informatics applications, Patient safety
Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
Digital Nursing
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