An expert in clinical safety, Dr. Paul Barach helped secure a $5 million grant through the European Union to explore patient safety improvement methods targeted to medical discharges and transitions. He led the initiative, called Improving the Continuity of Patient Care Through Identification and Implementation of Novel Patient Handoff Processes in Europe, or the HANDOVER Project, in his capacity as principal investigator. The position was part of Dr. Paul Barach’s academic tenure with the Utrecht University Medical Center.
In their final report, HANDOVER Project officials made several policy, educational and finance recommendations to the European Union concerning how best to reduce patient re admissions to hospital after discharge and overall improvement in patient transitions. The report’s initial advice emphasizes the need to standardize clinical handover practices throughout healthcare. Further, the researchers express their hope that the European Union member states will broadly implement HANDOVER Project best practices, based on compelling real-world evidence.
The final report also calls on stakeholder groups like hospitals, medical societies, and patient organizations to collaborate with the public in optimizing patient handover procedures. In this way, the researchers seek to reform the system using inclusive and democratically inspired methods. The full report and access to the scientific papers that have been published from this study can be found at www.handover.eu.