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Exploration of handover communication in military and NHS emergency care settings

Exploration of handover communication in military and NHS emergency care settings
Exploration of handover communication in military and NHS emergency care settings
There is an emerging body of literature on handover communication in civilian emergency care settings between paramedics and hospital receiving staff. However, little is known about how handover is conducted in the UK military and how this might differ from the NHS. The aim of this study was to explore the handover experiences of paramedics who have worked in both organisations in order to learn more about handover communication. The key objectives were to gain further insights into how these experiences changed paramedics’ expectations and knowledge of handover, and how they managed the transition between different emergency care settings.

The study was informed by a mixed methods approach. It used semi structured interviews with paramedics who have worked in the NHS and with the Medical Emergency Response Team (MERT). Data from interviews was recorded, transcribed, and organised using Computer Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis (CAQDA). The study was supplemented by reflexive diary entries of handover communication and includes contemporaneous notes, drawings and reflections on handover.

The study showed that there were differences between handover communication in the military and the NHS, and these were driven by organisational culture and mission, patient characteristics, training of health care professionals, and available resources. However, standardisation was a common feature in both emergency care settings. In the military, the ATMIST mnemonic was a key element of standardisation, whilst in the NHS this was driven by the Patient Report Form (PRF). It appeared that transition between different healthcare settings, especially from the military to the NHS, was challenging for paramedics. More research is needed into how paramedics manage these transitions and how they can be supported through this process.
University of Southampton
Slope, Rowena
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Slope, Rowena
2c23313f-df22-46f9-ba65-6e2309e17d9a
Pope, Catherine
21ae1290-0838-4245-adcf-6f901a0d4607
Crouch, Robert
0f783826-742d-490c-9689-2693172293bb

Slope, Rowena (2017) Exploration of handover communication in military and NHS emergency care settings. University of Southampton, Doctoral Thesis, 259pp.

Record type: Thesis (Doctoral)

Abstract

There is an emerging body of literature on handover communication in civilian emergency care settings between paramedics and hospital receiving staff. However, little is known about how handover is conducted in the UK military and how this might differ from the NHS. The aim of this study was to explore the handover experiences of paramedics who have worked in both organisations in order to learn more about handover communication. The key objectives were to gain further insights into how these experiences changed paramedics’ expectations and knowledge of handover, and how they managed the transition between different emergency care settings.

The study was informed by a mixed methods approach. It used semi structured interviews with paramedics who have worked in the NHS and with the Medical Emergency Response Team (MERT). Data from interviews was recorded, transcribed, and organised using Computer Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis (CAQDA). The study was supplemented by reflexive diary entries of handover communication and includes contemporaneous notes, drawings and reflections on handover.

The study showed that there were differences between handover communication in the military and the NHS, and these were driven by organisational culture and mission, patient characteristics, training of health care professionals, and available resources. However, standardisation was a common feature in both emergency care settings. In the military, the ATMIST mnemonic was a key element of standardisation, whilst in the NHS this was driven by the Patient Report Form (PRF). It appeared that transition between different healthcare settings, especially from the military to the NHS, was challenging for paramedics. More research is needed into how paramedics manage these transitions and how they can be supported through this process.

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Published date: May 2017

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 422197
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/422197
PURE UUID: 28acf4f2-a192-418d-b389-47e4a18d5643
ORCID for Catherine Pope: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-8935-6702

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 18 Jul 2018 16:31
Last modified: 05 Jun 2024 17:15

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Contributors

Author: Rowena Slope
Thesis advisor: Catherine Pope ORCID iD
Thesis advisor: Robert Crouch

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