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Unstructured Handoffs Lead to Medical Errors

The structure and standardization of patient handoffs between clinical staff starts at the organizational level. The more disorganized the handoff process is, the greater the impact on patients and front-line clinicians.

Communication Breakdowns

Most institutions don’t have a formal, standardized process centered around clinician communication

Technology Silos

EHRs aren’t ready-made to enable a seamless handoff and often lack synchronization between platforms

Common Challenges Can Become Big Problems

Interruptions, distractions, and insufficient staffing lead to hurried handoffs, medical errors, and costly overtime

A Proven Blueprint for Seamless Care Transitions

Developed by clinicians, for clinicians, I-PASS helps hospitals and health systems apply an evidence-based approach to reducing miscommunication in patient handoffs.

Hands-on Help

From assessment to implementation, I-PASS Coaches and Program Managers guide you every step of the way

A Culture of Patient Safety

I-PASS has the foundational tools, road map, and expertise proven to help overcome organizational barriers and aid in behavior change

EHR Optimization

The I-PASS Written Handoff Tool can be optimized within your existing EHR, providing your teams with a valuable companion document to support verbal handoff

Reduced Errors and Costs

As many as 300 adverse events can be prevented each year – a cost savings of up to $8.1 million annually¹

Become a High-Reliability Organization

Proven steps to reduce patient harm and improve team collaboration, focus, and communication

Testimonials

Trish Jordan

System Associate Vice President, Clinical Outcomes, Baptist Health

“I-PASS gives our staff a tool they’ve been yearning for — one that augments the way they’re already coordinating patient care. By leveraging a shared mental model for clinical handoff communication, our care teams can maximize the impact that those efforts ultimately make on their patients.”

Deborah Campbell

Vice President of Clinical Strategy and Transformation, Kentucky Hospital Association

“I like I-PASS because it’s a Swiss Army knife approach – demonstrated ability to positively impact safety, quality, experience for care providers and patients, as well as financial benefits – not another one-off solution like we’ve tried before. Communication is nuanced and complex, and I liked that the I-PASS Institute acknowledged that and thoughtfully factored it into their bundle of solutions and methodology.”

Graham Billingham, MD

Chief Medical Officer, MedPro Group

“Errors in patient handoffs are a tremendous issue across the industry. We believe organizations that leverage I-PASS can begin addressing the root cause of miscommunication to improve patient safety and decrease liability exposure. We look forward to seeing the impact that I-PASS will have in optimizing clinician communication and elevating the standard of care.”

Dana Siegal

Vice President of Risk Management and Analytics, Coverys

"We recognize that in this challenging time in healthcare, proactive strategies are what’s going to drive meaningful change in patient safety. The Coverys team is committed to being part of this positive progress and bringing highly reliable handoff communications to hospitals to improve care delivery and experience. We’re looking forward to collaborating with I-PASS to bring world-class solutions to our providers.”

Wyatt Connor

RN, Travel Nurse, Dartmouth Health

"This handoff process is fantastic! From the report you print out to the I-PASS mnemonic, it’s better than any handoff process I’ve seen at other hospitals. The structured workflow ensures that information doesn’t get overlooked. At the same time, it doesn’t inhibit communication between clinicians; it helps uphold a standard for good reports, and it’s an additional aid on top of that."

Jennifer Bailey, MHA, BSN, RN

Director of Quality and Patient Safety, Carilion Giles Community Hospital

“There’s such a fine balance between adding a meaningful tool for staff and not creating unnecessary work in the process, but we’re confident that implementing I-PASS ultimately makes life easier for the frontline nurses while ensuring we maintain our patient safety and quality measures.”

Shilpa J. Patel, MD

Professor, Dept of Pediatrics, University of Hawaii

“The I-PASS Handoff Bundle has had an enormous impact in improving communication amongst resident learners as well as attending level physicians and other health care workers. It can be adapted to fit the needs of almost any specialty as well as both straightforward and complex patient care situations. Within my own pediatric hospitalist division, we have many stories of how using the I-PASS bundle helped to improve care, workflow, and prevent harm.”

Zia Bismilla

Director PHM Fellowship, Hospital for Sick Children

“I-PASS is a unique blend of patient safety, quality and education. Having implemented numerous educational interventions over the years, no curricula has been as effective as I-PASS. By empowering those on the ground with the tools to communicate effectively, it's effects have been widespread and long-lasting.”

Meg Kirkley, MD, MPH

Pediatric Chief Resident, University of Colorado Pediatric Residency Program

“IPASS has become part of our onboarding process for pediatric residents, who bring this structured framework for handoffs to all subsequent care environments. Our hospitalists have adopted IPASS as well, and it interfaces with our EPIC electronic medical record to generate IPASS format reports automatically.”

Becky Blankenburg, MD, MPH

Associate Chair of Education Pediatrics Residency Program Director Standford School of Education

“I have seen first-hand how the I-PASS framework has helped expose potential patient safety errors, and saved patients from having to experience these errors. As a residency program director, I have seen how easy it is to teach and implement. This is the single most effective patient safety educational bundle that I have seen in my 9 years of program leadership! ”

Chris Peltier, MD, FAAP

Director, Community Section, Division of General and Community, Pediatrics Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center

"I strongly support I-PASS. With the transition to resident shift work, the number of hand-offs between the house staff has greatly increased. I-PASS had improved this process and made patient safety more effective at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. ”

Peggy Markle

Pediatric Patient Advisory CouncilNational Military Medical Center, Bethesda

“The IPASS procedures, videos, brochures, and supporting educational information for patients and their families and the medical team training are together changing the way we treat patients. As a caregiver, I am grateful we are treated in a facility that is implementing IPASS. It is reassuring patients and bringing a new level of confidence, communication and compassion to our medical team. ”

“As we advance our organization-wide Just Culture initiative, we’re excited to be partnering with I-PASS and the Kentucky Hospital Association to transform the safety culture at Harrison Memorial and deliver high-quality health care services to our community.”

— Kathy Tussey, DNP, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, Chief Executive Officer at Harrison Memorial.

“I-PASS gives our staff a tool they’ve been yearning for — one that augments the way they’re already coordinating patient care. By leveraging a shared mental model for clinical handoff communication, our care teams can maximize the impact that those efforts ultimately make on their patients.”

— Trish Jordan, System Associate Vice President, Clinical Outcomes, Baptist Health

“I like I-PASS because it’s a Swiss Army knife approach – demonstrated ability to positively impact safety, quality, experience for care providers and patients, as well as financial benefits – not another one-off solution like we’ve tried before. Communication is nuanced and complex, and I liked that the I-PASS Institute acknowledged that and thoughtfully factored it into their bundle of solutions and methodology.”

— Deborah Campbell, Vice President of Clinical Strategy and Transformation, Kentucky Hospital Association

“Errors in patient handoffs are a tremendous issue across the industry. We believe organizations that leverage I-PASS can begin addressing the root cause of miscommunication to improve patient safety and decrease liability exposure. We look forward to seeing the impact that I-PASS will have in optimizing clinician communication and elevating the standard of care.”

— Graham Billingham, MD, Chief Medical Officer, MedPro Group

"We recognize that in this challenging time in healthcare, proactive strategies are what’s going to drive meaningful change in patient safety. The Coverys team is committed to being part of this positive progress and bringing highly reliable handoff communications to hospitals to improve care delivery and experience. We’re looking forward to collaborating with I-PASS to bring world-class solutions to our providers.”

— Dana Siegal, Vice President of Risk Management and Analytics, Coverys

“There’s such a fine balance between adding a meaningful tool for staff and not creating unnecessary work in the process, but we’re confident that implementing I-PASS ultimately makes life easier for the frontline nurses while ensuring we maintain our patient safety and quality measures.”

— Jennifer Bailey, MHA, BSN, RN, Director of Quality and Patient Safety, Carilion Giles Community Hospital

"This handoff process is fantastic! From the report you print out to the I-PASS mnemonic, it’s better than any handoff process I’ve seen at other hospitals. The structured workflow ensures that information doesn’t get overlooked. At the same time, it doesn’t inhibit communication between clinicians; it helps uphold a standard for good reports, and it’s an additional aid on top of that."

— Wyatt Connor, RN, Travel Nurse, Dartmouth Health

“I-PASS is a unique blend of patient safety, quality and education. Having implemented numerous educational interventions over the years, no curricula has been as effective as I-PASS. By empowering those on the ground with the tools to communicate effectively, it's effects have been widespread and long-lasting.”

— Zia Bismilla, Director PHM Fellowship, Hospital for Sick Children

“The I-PASS Handoff Bundle has had an enormous impact in improving communication amongst resident learners as well as attending level physicians and other health care workers. It can be adapted to fit the needs of almost any specialty as well as both straightforward and complex patient care situations. Within my own pediatric hospitalist division, we have many stories of how using the I-PASS bundle helped to improve care, workflow, and prevent harm.”

— Shilpa J. Patel, MD, Senior Vice President, Chief Quality Officer, Hawaii Pacific Health

“IPASS has become part of our onboarding process for pediatric residents, who bring this structured framework for handoffs to all subsequent care environments. Our hospitalists have adopted IPASS as well, and it interfaces with our EPIC electronic medical record to generate IPASS format reports automatically.”

— Meg Kirkley, MD, MPH, Pediatric Chief Resident, University of Colorado Pediatric Residency Program

“I have seen first-hand how the I-PASS framework has helped expose potential patient safety errors, and saved patients from having to experience these errors. As a residency program director, I have seen how easy it is to teach and implement. This is the single most effective patient safety educational bundle that I have seen in my 9 years of program leadership! ”

— Becky Blankenburg, MD, MPH, Associate Chair of Education Pediatrics Residency Program Director Standford School of Education

"I strongly support I-PASS. With the transition to resident shift work, the number of hand-offs between the house staff has greatly increased. I-PASS had improved this process and made patient safety more effective at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. ”

— Chris Peltier, MD, FAAP, Director, Community Section, Division of General and Community, Pediatrics Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center

“The IPASS procedures, videos, brochures, and supporting educational information for patients and their families and the medical team training are together changing the way we treat patients. As a caregiver, I am grateful we are treated in a facility that is implementing IPASS. It is reassuring patients and bringing a new level of confidence, communication and compassion to our medical team. ”

— Peggy Markle, Pediatric Patient Advisory Council National Military Medical Center, Bethesda

"The I-PASS framework will provide our staff with a standardized approach for care transitions, ensuring clinicians remain focused during critical moments. The I-PASS methodology significantly reduces communication failures and establishes a universal language for handoffs, ensuring lasting improvements in patient outcomes and quality of care."

Improving Communication Saves Lives

The I-PASS methodology, solutions, and services have been proven to reduce patient harm by up to 70%. Our tailored trainings, personalized implementation plans, and professional coaching are designed to help institutions of any size transform patient safety communication.

Unstructured Handoffs Lead to Medical Errors

The structure and standardization of patient handoffs between clinical staff starts at the organizational level. The more disorganized the handoff process is, the greater the impact on patients and front-line clinicians.

Communication Breakdowns

Technology Silos

Common Challenges Can Become Big Problems

POSITION PAPER

Solving for Communication Failures in Medical Malpractice Claims

Critical access hospital standardizes nurse handoff communication to reduce patient safety errors and improve quality outcomes.

A Proven Blueprint for Seamless Care Transitions

Developed by clinicians, for clinicians, I-PASS helps hospitals and health systems apply an evidence-based approach to reducing miscommunication in patient handoffs.

Hands-on Help

A Culture of Patient Safety

EHR Optimization

Reduced Errors and Costs

Become a High-Reliability Organization

Testimonials

Trish Jordan

Deborah Campbell

Graham Billingham, MD

Dana Siegal

Wyatt Connor

Jennifer Bailey, MHA, BSN, RN

Shilpa J. Patel, MD

Zia Bismilla

Meg Kirkley, MD, MPH

Becky Blankenburg, MD, MPH

Chris Peltier, MD, FAAP

Peggy Markle

“As we advance our organization-wide Just Culture initiative, we’re excited to be partnering with I-PASS and the Kentucky Hospital Association to transform the safety culture at Harrison Memorial and deliver high-quality health care services to our community.”

— Kathy Tussey, DNP, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, Chief Executive Officer at Harrison Memorial.

— Trish Jordan, System Associate Vice President, Clinical Outcomes, Baptist Health

— Deborah Campbell, Vice President of Clinical Strategy and Transformation, Kentucky Hospital Association

— Graham Billingham, MD, Chief Medical Officer, MedPro Group

— Dana Siegal, Vice President of Risk Management and Analytics, Coverys

“There’s such a fine balance between adding a meaningful tool for staff and not creating unnecessary work in the process, but we’re confident that implementing I-PASS ultimately makes life easier for the frontline nurses while ensuring we maintain our patient safety and quality measures.”

— Jennifer Bailey, MHA, BSN, RN, Director of Quality and Patient Safety, Carilion Giles Community Hospital

— Wyatt Connor, RN, Travel Nurse, Dartmouth Health

— Zia Bismilla, Director PHM Fellowship, Hospital for Sick Children

— Shilpa J. Patel, MD, Senior Vice President, Chief Quality Officer, Hawaii Pacific Health

— Meg Kirkley, MD, MPH, Pediatric Chief Resident, University of Colorado Pediatric Residency Program

— Becky Blankenburg, MD, MPH, Associate Chair of Education Pediatrics Residency Program Director Standford School of Education

"I strongly support I-PASS. With the transition to resident shift work, the number of hand-offs between the house staff has greatly increased. I-PASS had improved this process and made patient safety more effective at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. ”

— Chris Peltier, MD, FAAP, Director, Community Section, Division of General and Community, Pediatrics Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center

— Peggy Markle, Pediatric Patient Advisory Council National Military Medical Center, Bethesda

— Michelle Rainey, Senior Vice President & Chief Nursing Officer at Pikeville Medical Center

I-PASS Featured in the Journal of Patient Safety

Backed by Clinical Evidence

The I-PASS Handoff Program has a rich history of data demonstrating its ability to transform hospital communication practices and improve outcomes.

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I-PASS VP Marshall Burkhart is ready to help you get your handoff communication improvement program started.

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