What is I-PASS

I-PASS is an evidence-based package of interventions created to reduce communication failures during patient handoffs. A patient handoff occurs each time there is a shift change between medical professionals, as well as when a patient is transferred from one department in a hospital to another department. An average-sized hospital, based on an estimated 2 to 3 handoffs per patient, per day, will have approximately 1.6 million handoffs per year. Historically, the process for conducting high-quality handoffs within health care settings has not been formally taught to doctors or nurses; they are non-standardized and vary both within an institution and between institutions. Each handoff represents a critical moment in patient care. When an incomplete or incorrect handoff is conducted, a medical error may arise.

The I-PASS Handoff Method was created by the I-PASS Study Group. In a multi-centered study, the I-PASS Study Group demonstrated that implementation of the I-PASS Handoff Method was associated with a 30% reduction in errors that harm patients. The I-PASS Handoff Method has been adapted for use by physicians and nurses in a broad range of clinical settings.