In a statewide first, The Patients’ Voice project recognises the importance of safety of, and communication with, inpatients. Patients, families and carers were provided with a letter of introduction to the afternoon nurses’ handover, which outlines what patient information needs to be captured and shared with the incoming nursing shift.
Post-implementation surveys and audits showed a 30 per cent decrease in clinical incidents due to patient information shared in the new protocol. Also, all patients that participated in the pilot of this initiative gave feedback that was 100 per cent positive.
The initiative is considered potentially applicable in broader health settings, both nationally and internationally.
