There are many things to consider when contemplating the implementation of a handoff program.
I-PASS is the most validated and effective method for handoffs in the hospital. It was found to substantially reduce injuries due to medical errors in a major multicenter study published in 2014 in the New England Journal of Medicine. No other handoff approach has such strong evidence of effectiveness. In addition, it is important to recognize that I-PASS is a multipronged, rigorously developed approach to improving handoffs, not just a mnemonic. It was developed by clinicians, for clinicians. Over the past nine years, the program has been extensively refined and tested to be effective across specialties and disciplines, and well-integrated into workflow patterns.
No, I-PASS training and observational software-based tools are independent of the hospital’s EHR system and do not require hospital IT support.
The I-PASS Study Group is a collaborative of researchers, hospitalists, and medical education specialists who developed a package of interventions to standardize the I-PASS handoff process and study its impact. Once I-PASS was validated, the Study Group became focused on implementing I-PASS in as many hospitals as possible to reduce medical errors and improve patient safety. The Study Group realized that without the appropriate resources, guidance and oversight, hospitals couldn’t implement the program in a way that could be sustained. The I-PASS Institute was created in 2016 to help achieve widespread adoption and sustainment.
A library of pre-configured I-PASS templates for the most common specialties/departments is available. The I-PASS Institute will work with your IT department to integrate the templates into your EHR system.
I-PASS is a bundle of interventions, of which the I-PASS electronic template is only one component. Other components include I-PASS training of your clinical team and ongoing observations to support sustainment. The I-PASS Institute works with your organization to create a customized program to ensure adoption and long-term sustainment of I-PASS.
Our proprietary I-PASS eVIEW has been designed by us to simplify the creation and maintenance of I-PASS templates that are customized to your care areas. Our I-PASS eVIEW resides on a web-based platform that will integrate to your EHR, and is easily updated and maintained, with minimal hospital IT support.
The I-PASS Institute’s Training Platform and Assessment & Improvement tools are Cloud-Based applications that are independent of the EHR system, and thus do not require additional hospital IT support.
I-PASS can be implemented in individual departments, but for the greatest benefit, it should be adopted throughout an entire institution. The I-PASS Institute will work with you to develop a proposed implementation plan that best meets your goals. A formal needs assessment can be conducted in as little as two weeks to help identify the key areas of improvement in transitions of care at your institution.
A focused implementation for several departments can take 9 – 12 months, while a full institution at a large hospital can take up to 2- 3years. Each of these timelines is an estimate and may be adjusted based on the scope of implementation and site-specific needs.
Most sites begin to see a measurable impact at 3 months post-implementation, once all providers in the designated area have been trained and are receiving quality, real-time feedback on a regular basis.
Gaining hospital administrative support is critical. Including a “C” level champion will facilitate the process. The I-PASS Institute will work with your administration to create a justification demonstrating the very attractive financial return. In addition to garnering support of high-level leaders, successful implementations also require involvement and buy-in from hospital staff at various levels of the organization. In conjunction with I-PASS Institute Coaches and Program Managers, key internal champions and site leads at the hospital will be part of a team-based approach to implementation.
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Yes, the I-PASS mnemonic may be built into your EHR already, but the mnemonic alone is not enough. I-PASS is a package of interventions, of which the written mnemonic is only one component. To drive significant changes in patient safety, I-PASS needs to be systematically adopted and used daily by your health care professionals in their written and oral communications. The I-PASS Institute works with your organization to create a customized program to ensure adoption and long-term sustainment of I-PASS.