Exploring Communication Tools in Clinical Settings: Addressing the Need for a Universal Approach to Clinical Handover

BackgroundEffective communication in clinical handovers is critical for promoting patient safety and care quality. Healthcare professionals lack interprofessional training on clinical handovers.AimsTo identify educational strategies used to enhance clinical handover competence in clinical settings, map outcomes used to evaluate training effectiveness, and explore methods suitable for interprofessional education.DesignA scoping review guided by the PRISMA-ScR checklist.MethodsA systematic search of seven electronic databases was conducted.ResultsSeventeen studies were included in this review, which yielded the following major themes: (1) education strategies were evidence-based program structured with communication frameworks; (2) diverse outcomes were measured in clinical handover training; (3) inadequacy in interprofessional training on clinical handovers. Training programs encompassed various learning activities to improve clinical handover practices. Few studies highlight effective training methods enhanced communication, confidence, and operational efficiency.ConclusionsThere is a need for more robust, longitudinal, and randomized studies to evaluate long-term effects. Future research should expand interprofessional training, incorporate innovative technologies, and develop standardized curricula to better prepare healthcare professionals for effective clinical handovers. Results indicate that no single tool has been universally recommended. There remains a need to recommend a universal handover tool through interprofessional education and promote its use within diverse healthcare disciplines.