Maya Babu, MD, MBA

Mayo Clinic 

Patient transfers: "Hand-offs" The ACGME and IOM recently released new guidelines limiting the number of hours worked by residents to minimize resident fatigue.  With more mandated break periods in between patient care shifts, the need to "hand-off" or transfer patient care responsibilities between members of a healthcare team become increasingly frequent as residents, fellows, and attendings come on and off shifts.  Disciplines such as nursing, and fields within medicine such as pediatrics, emergency medicine, obstetrics and internal medicine, have studied hand-offs, and have made early recommendations as to what elements should be included in a proper and effective hand-off.