Last Updated on July 13, 2023 by Ossian Muscad
Apart from having the right skills and experience, communication is a critical component of patient care. Accurate handover of information between healthcare professionals is essential to ensure that patients receive the best possible care.
To improve communication and accuracy in the transfer of patient data, medical experts can use SBAR templates to facilitate the process. This article will discuss how to create an effective SBAR template and how to use it effectively to maximize efficiency and accuracy when transferring patient care.
What is an SBAR Template?
An SBAR template refers to a standardized communication tool used in healthcare settings. The acronym SBAR stands for Situation, Background, Assessment, and Recommendation.
The SBAR template provides a structured framework to facilitate clear, concise, and effective communication between healthcare team members about a patient’s condition. It’s designed to ensure that all necessary information is conveyed accurately and promptly, which is crucial in managing patient care effectively.
An example of an SBAR could be: The patient hospitalized with an upper respiratory infection is experiencing labored respiration that has increased to 28 breaths per minute within the past 30 minutes, and usual interventions are ineffective. The recommendation could be to request a doctor’s review or escalate to a specialist team.
The 4 Detailed Steps of SBAR Communication
As mentioned earlier, the acronym SBAR stands for Situation, Background, Assessment, and Recommendation, providing a clear and structured framework for communication between healthcare professionals. Each step ensures that all necessary information about a patient’s condition is conveyed accurately and promptly.
Situation
This initial step involves clearly and succinctly describing the patient’s current situation. It should include immediate concerns or changes observed in the patient’s condition. The goal is to answer the question: “What is happening right now?”
Background
This step provides the important context needed to understand the situation fully. It includes details about why the patient is under medical care and their relevant medical history. This could consist of previous diagnoses, allergies, current medications, and other pertinent historical data. The aim is to provide a comprehensive picture of the patient’s health status prior to the current situation.
Assessment
In this phase, healthcare professionals share their clinical assessment based on the available data, observations, and findings. They might discuss vital signs, lab results, pain levels, or other relevant clinical information. It’s a professional judgment about what could be wrong or what has changed in the patient’s status. This step answers the question: “What do I think the problem is?”
Recommendation
The final step is where healthcare professionals suggest a course of action to manage, resolve, or improve the patient’s situation. This could involve requesting further tests, changing a treatment plan, or escalating the situation to a senior colleague or specialist. This step aims to answer: “What would I recommend as the next steps?”
The SBAR tool helps to foster effective and efficient communication, reducing the risk of miscommunication or missing critical information and ultimately leading to improved patient outcomes.
Benefits of Utilizing an SBAR Template
The SBAR template serves as a powerful tool in healthcare communication and other sectors that require structured clear communication methods. The main benefits of using this format include:
Standardization
The SBAR template offers a uniform method for communication, ensuring consistency across information exchanges. This standardized format minimizes the potential for miscommunication or misunderstanding among healthcare professionals, promoting clarity and improving the quality of care.
Efficiency
By providing a well-structured framework, the SBAR template streamlines the communication process. Healthcare professionals can rapidly fill out the necessary information in the specified sections, which saves valuable time, especially in high-pressure or time-sensitive situations.
Enhanced Patient Safety
The SBAR template fosters clear, concise, and complete communication, which significantly reduces the likelihood of errors, misinterpretations, or delays in patient care. As a result, healthcare professionals can make well-informed decisions and take prompt, appropriate actions, ultimately bolstering patient safety.
Improved Interprofessional Collaboration
The standardized format of the SBAR template facilitates easy comprehension and understanding of shared information. This promotes effective teamwork and coordinated care among healthcare professionals, fostering a collaborative environment that enhances patient outcomes.
By integrating the SBAR template into their communication practices, healthcare teams can ensure more effective information exchange, improving patient care and overall efficiency.
Best Practices for Using an SBAR Template
Using the SBAR template can greatly enhance communication within healthcare teams, but following some best practices is essential to make it most effective. Here are some recommendations:
- Be Clear and Concise: Ensure your message is direct and to the point. Avoid jargon or complex medical terms that could lead to confusion. Stick to the facts and avoid unnecessary details.
- Be Specific: When describing the situation, be specific about the patient’s condition. Use exact figures and observations where possible instead of vague statements.
- Use Updated Information: Always use the most recent and relevant information about the patient’s condition. This includes current vital signs, lab results, and new symptoms or changes.
- Double Check Your Information: Double-check all your information for accuracy before communicating. This reduces the risk of miscommunication or potential errors in patient care.
- Ensure Understanding: After communicating the information, ensure the recipient understands everything correctly. Encourage them to ask questions if anything is unclear.
- Practice Active Listening: When on the receiving end of an SBAR communication, practice active listening. This means fully focusing on the speaker, understanding the information, and responding thoughtfully.
- Document the Communication: Keep a record of all SBAR communications for future reference and accountability. This can also be helpful for training purposes and for improving communication strategies.
- Regular Training: Regularly train all team members on using the SBAR template. This ensures everyone is familiar with the format and can use it effectively.
Remember, using the SBAR template aims to improve communication, promote patient safety, and enhance patient outcomes. By following these best practices, you can ensure the most effective use of this valuable tool.
Create an SBAR Template Using a Low-code Platform
If you want to create your own SBAR template, consider using a low-code platform. Low-code platforms enable users to quickly and easily develop applications without requiring any coding knowledge. Low-code platforms make it easy to customize templates, create forms from scratch, and develop interactive applications.
DATAMYTE is a quality management platform with low-code capabilities. The DataMyte Digital Clipboard is a low-code workflow automation software with a built-in checklist and smart form builder. This feature and its drag-and-drop interface allow you to create any checklist and form template you need—including an SBAR template.
To create a checklist or form template using DATAMYTE, follow these steps:
- Log in to DATAMYTE and navigate to the ‘Checklist’ module.
- Click “Create Checklist” to create a new checklist or form template.
- Add a Title to the checklist or form template; select the category it belongs to.
- Click “Add Item” to add items to the checklist or form template.
- Add appropriate descriptions to each item, the type of answer required, and other relevant specifications.
- Assign the personnel responsible for completing the checklist.
- Indicate any required approvals from other relevant personnel, such as supervisors or quality assurance managers.
- Save your checklist; it will now be available on any device. You can also print a physical copy of your checklist.
DATAMYTE also lets you conduct layered process audits, a systematic review of critical process steps. This auditing method focuses on the areas with the highest risk of failure or non-compliance. By conducting LPA using DATAMYTE, you can effectively identify and correct defects before they escalate.
With DATAMYTE, you have the perfect solution for creating and implementing SBAR templates. Book a demo with us today to learn how DATAMYTE can help you create and use standardized SBAR templates within your organization.
Conclusion
SBAR templates provide a standardized format for communication among healthcare professionals, which helps reduce errors and enhance patient safety. By creating your own SBAR template with the help of a low-code platform such as DATAMYTE, you can ensure that all stakeholders are on the same page and have access to the most up-to-date information about patients’ conditions.
