I: Introduction - Individuals involved in the handoff identify
themselves, their roles and jobs
P: Patient - Communicate the patient name, identifies, age, sex, and
location A: Assessment - Present the patient's chief complaint, vital signs, symptoms and diagnosis S: Situation - Communicate the current status and circumstances, including code status, level of certainty or uncertainty, recent changes and response to treatment S: Safety Concerns - What are the critical lab values and reports? Any socioeconomic factors to be aware of? Any allergies or alerts (ex: risk for falls)? The
B: Background - Identify comorbidities, previous episodes, current
medications and family history. Verify the patient's insurance. Is the family available for support? Are there any advance directives? A: Actions - Detail what actions were taken or are required and provide a brief rationale for those actions T: Timing - What is the level of urgency? Include explicit timing and prioritization of actions. O: Ownership - Who is responsible (nurse/doctor/team), including patient and family responsibilities? N: Next - What is the plan of action? Are there any time critical actions needed? Any anticipated changes? Are there any contingency plans? Source: Department of Defense Patient Safety Program