Improved patient satisfaction 2 years after introducing person‐centred handover in an oncological inpatient care setting

Aims and objectives To investigate patients’ satisfaction with care, 2 years after the introduction of person‐centred handover (PCH) in an oncological inpatient setting, and to describe patients’ perceptions of individualised care. Background To obtain higher levels of patient satisfaction, bedside nursing handovers have been evaluated with positive results. One such model is PCH, which blends aspects of person‐centred care with the bedside report and provides the opportunity for nursing staff and patients to perform the handover together. Design A survey‐based design was used with one data collection period. Patient satisfaction scores were compared with baseline data from a previous study that has been conducted in the same wards. Method Patient satisfaction was measured with the EORTC IN‐PATSAT32 questionnaire, and individualised care was assessed with the Individualized Care Scale. A total of 120 adult patients with cancer were invited to participate from August 2017–March 2018. Of these, 90 chose to participate. The STROBE checklist for cross‐sectional studies was used when preparing the paper. Results Compared to the previous study, statistically significant improvements in patient satisfaction were observed in the subscales “Exchange of information between caregivers” and “Nurses’ information provision” postimplementation of PCH. Regarding patients’ perceptions of individualised care, the highest scores were in the ICS‐A subscale “Clinical situation” and ICS‐B “Decisional control,” while “Personal life situation” scored the lowest overall. Conclusions Person‐centred handover seems to have sustainable positive effects on important outcomes regarding patient satisfaction. A novel finding is the positive impact on nurses’ information provision, indicating that PCH can facilitate effective information exchange between patients and nurses. Relevance to clinical practice Person‐centred handover seems to improve patients’ satisfaction with nurses’ provision and exchange of information. Nurses and managers should carefully consider the implementation process of PCH and evaluate its long‐term effects. PCH can be recommended in the oncology inpatient setting.