A qualitative analysis of education delivered at emergency department handover.
Background
The emergency department (ED) is a rich, problem-based, learning environment. ED handover can present teaching opportunities to maximise clinical teaching.
Methods
The aim of this study is to describe the educational content delivered at ED handover at an Irish inner city university hospital. A dedicated scribe documented learning points from the daily 4pm ED handover on a whiteboard. The dataset from each ED handover was coded using NVivo software. The dataset was analysed by doing a word cloud and thematic analysis.
Results
Data was captured from twenty-three ED handovers. The two most prominent highlighted words were ‘patient’ and ‘treatment’ on the word cloud analysis. Fifty-six codes mapped to fourteen basic themes, encapsulating twelve medical specialties, clinician welfare and clinical examination. A hierarchy tree visualized the emphasis of ED handover teaching on the themes of medicine, cardiology, trauma and toxicology.
Discussion
This is the first qualitative study analyzing education delivered at ED handover. Our study confirms the utility of ED handover as an important learning opportunity.
Conclusion
Education delivered at emergency department handover can enhance learning opportunities for ED clinicians.
