EC Emergency Medicine And Critical Care

Background: The handover at the interface between the ambulance service and the central emergency department is of crucial importance, as it ensures the seamless exchange of information between the two units and thus guarantees the continuity of patient care. The aim of this thesis is to analyse the quality of the handover process at this interface and to identify possible solutions.

Methods: The research question "How can the current state of quality in the handover process from ambulance staff to the nursing staff of the central emergency department be assessed and what potential measures and solutions can be identified to sustainably improve the quality of this handover process?" was answered by conducting expert interviews. The interviews were digitally recorded for the purpose of subsequent verbatim transcription. Finally, the qualitative content analysis according to Mayring and the inductive categorisation were carried out.

Results: The respondents in the sample n = 10 identified structured communication through the use of tools, scores and checklists, shock room management and interdisciplinary collaboration, the implementation of effective pre-registration and the key role of calmness during handover as best practices and successful approaches to quality improvement in the handover process.

Discussion: The results illustrate the complexity of the handover process and suggest that a combined strategic approach based on training, clear protocols and interdisciplinary collaboration could improve the quality of the handover process.

Conclusion: The results emphasise the ongoing complexity of the handover process at the interface between the ambulance service and the central emergency department. They suggest that an integrated strategic approach could improve the quality of this process. Future research could contribute to gaining practical insights for the continuous improvement of this interface.

 Keywords: Interface Problems; Ambulance Service; Emergency Department; Quality; Handover

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