Education in Medicine Journal (ISSN 2180-1932) © www.eduimed.com | e15 CORRESPONDING AUTHOR: Dr Christopher J. Smith, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Medicine, Omaha, NE, USA. Email: csmithj@unmc.edu Introduction Handoffs are exchanges of information that occur when responsibility for patient care is transferred between health professionals (1). This includes a broad range of care transitions, including those within a service line (e.g. at shift change), between units (2) (e.g. from the emergency department to inpatient setting), and between care settings (e.g. discharge from the hospital to ambulatory setting (3)). The Joint Commission reports that communication failures and poor coordination across the care continuum are leading causes of sentinel events (4). Additionally, handoff failures are associated with adverse patient outcomes and inefficient care © Medical Education Department, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia. All rights reserved. ABSTRACT Introduction: The medical community has placed increasing emphasis on ensuring quality patient care handoffs, yet there is relatively little research regarding educational interventions for medical students. Objective: To assess the impact of a handoff communication workshop on senior medical students' attitudes, knowledge, and skills. Method: A 3-hour handoff skills workshop was developed using published research and educational models. The session included didactic lectures, role-play activities, and group discussion. We assessed the workshop’s impact using attitudinal, fact -based multiple choice, and case-based questions preceding, immediately following, and several months after the intervention. Result: From 2013- 2014, 59 students participated in the handoff training, with 56 (95%) completing the pre- and post-tests. Participants’ self-reported attitudes improved following the intervention (p≤.005 in 12 of 13 questions). The mean number of correct answers on multiple choice questions increased from 6.75 (CI 6.44-7.05) to 8.47 (CI 8.28-8.67) out of 9 (p<.001). Vignette scores improved from 6.00 to 8.14 out of 10 (p<0.001). Thirty-six participants (61%) completed the pre-, post-, and follow-up vignettes. Post- workshop vignette scores improved significantly (6.28 vs. 8.19, p<.001), but decreased in follow-up testing (8.19 vs. 6.97, p=.008). Conclusion: The handoff workshop improved participants’ attitudes, knowledge, and skills, but performance gains declined in the months following training. These findings suggest that handoff training should coincide with the opportunity to apply these skills in a clinical context. Handoff Training for Medical Students: Attitudes, Knowledge, and Sustainability of Skills Christopher J Smith 1 ; Grant Peterson 2 ; Gary L Beck 3 1 Department of Internal Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Medicine, Omaha, NE, USA. 2 Internal Medicine, Unity Point Clinic, Ankeny Prairie Trail, Ankeny, IA, USA. 3 Office of Medical Education, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Medicine, Omaha, NE, USA. ORIGINAL ARTICLE Volume 7 Issue 2 2015 DOI: 10.5959/eimj.v7i2.360 www.eduimed.com ARTICLE INFO Received : 06/03/2015 Accepted : 13/04/2015 Published : 10/06/2015 KEYWORD Handoff Handover Care transition Discharge summary Medical student