January safety behavior and tool: Communicate Clearly
Each month, USA Health will focus on a safety behavior to discuss and practice both at huddles and in our departments.
As part of our Safety Starts with Me initiative, USA Health is introducing a safety behavior and tool of the month to be discussed and practiced at huddles and in departments across the health system.
January’s safety behavior and tool is “Communicate Clearly” by utilizing three-way repeat-backs and read-backs.
What does this mean? When information is transferred using this behavior:
- The sender initiates communication using the receiver’s name. The sender provides an order, request or information to a receiver in a clear and concise format.
- The receiver acknowledges receipt by a repeat-back of the order, request or information.
- The sender acknowledges the accuracy of the repeat-back by saying, “That’s correct!” If not correct, the sender repeats the communication.
“Practicing three-way repeat backs and read backs can help us change our culture as we strive to become a high-reliability organization. The phrase we want to emphasize is, ‘Let me repeat that back,’” said Becky Pomrenke, M.S.N., R.N., patient safety manager for USA Health. “If you witness someone using the tool of the month, please thank them for doing so.”
A three-way read-back is similar to the three-way repeat-back except for an additional step: The receiver writes down the information and reads it back to the sender.
Pomrenke urges employees to always read back:
- Orders given over the phone
- Critical information such as labs
- Any information that needs to be added to a patient’s medical record
- Any information that needs to be passed to another individual
