Tips for introducing a structured clinical communication
tool (SBAR)
These examples are drawn from across Wales through the 1000 Lives Campaign
■■ I dentify an area that would benefit from structuring clinical hand-over,
for example:
ÒÒ step down from ITU;
ÒÒ transfer from ED;
ÒÒ calling for assistance when a patient deteriorates;
ÒÒ after patient safety incident where hand-over/communication is found
to be a contributing factor or Root Cause;
ÒÒ discharge notification from secondary to primary care.
■■ I dentify frontline champions working in the area who will help to promote
the use of SBAR
■■ I nvolve the frontline staff in producing the ‘right tool for the job’.
Develop relevant SBAR structures for local use.
■■ Develop PDSAs and use the principles of a small test of change to evolve
the SBAR tools.
■■ I dentify all staff that will be involved in the process and ensure they have
received the appropriate training.
■■ Use scenarios in the training package to demonstrate the effectiveness of
the SBAR process.
■■ Develop a simple tool for measuring the quality of the SBAR hand-over.
■■ Hold meetings to review the use of the tool and any improvements /
changes needed.
■■ Agree the opportunities for SBAR to be used and measure compliance of
use in each of the opportunities.
■■ Review the organisation’s existing communication systems /
documentation and consider changing the format (when next due for
update) to reflect the SBAR process.
■■ I dentify the successes of use and the quality benefits of using this
approach – what works well and what needs improving (PDSAs).
■■ Spread its use to other clinical communications, e.g. nurse to nurse handover
at shift change, or communication between primary and secondary
care.
■■ Broaden the use of SBAR to other corporate communications so that it
becomes common practice e.g., Executive/ Board reports.
■■ Report progress on the 1000 Lives Plus Extranet.