“It helped ease a steep learning curve” – how a Quality Improvement Project led to great outcomes in Cardiology
From October 2019 to April 2020, the Quality Improvement team at Whipps Cross led a project to improve handover between junior doctors working in cardiology for rotations lasting two to six months.
The plan was to equip doctors with the relevant skills, knowledge, and confidence to provide high-quality patient care – from the first day of their rotation.
The project introduced three elements to improve the quality of handover:
- A handover booklet for incoming junior doctors, containing all the necessary information a junior doctor in cardiology would need to perform their job.
- A short face-to-face handover meeting, to supplement and support information in the booklet.
- Ongoing communication for further questions during the rotation.
The handover booklet was central to the project. Its sections included:
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A Typical Week in Cardiology
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Common abbreviations and acronyms
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Useful contacts
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A “Where? When? How to Refer?” guide to working with Multi-Disciplinary Teams (MDTs)
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A guide to investigations terms and procedures
"This started as a small project among junior doctors," said Clara Salice, a foundation year two junior doctor involved with the project, "so we are really happy that there has been so much interest, and we hope that a similar concept will now be used in other teams"
Junior doctors were surveyed before and after receiving the handover booklet on how prepared they felt about the rotation. The results were outstanding. Every junior doctor surveyed found the handover booklet was useful in their cardiology rotation, with over 80% finding it “Very Useful”. Feedback was positive across doctors and nursing teams:
Junior doctors
“It helped ease a steep learning curve...”
“I don’t see why every new placement doesn’t have one”
“Lots of information in the handover is not available elsewhere”
Senior doctors
“I think your booklet has been a great idea and I think it is extremely useful for the new starters”
“Well done all of you, it is very interesting – I think it will have some recurrent value to us”
Nursing staff
“I will be using this booklet to orientate nursing staff too as it is very easy to use and has all the key information...”
“The transition from your team of doctors has been really smooth”
There was a high demand for this Quality Improvement Project, and all doctors who participated reported feeling prepared for their rotation in cardiology. It builds a strong case for introducing a handbook or guide for junior doctors in all departments.
To learn more about Quality Improvement Projects in your area, visit the WeImprove page.