SBAR Handoff Report Acronym · What Is It, When It’s Used, and More

SBAR, an acronym for Situation, Background, Assessment, and Recommendation, is a communication tool that allows healthcare team members to provide essential, concise information about an individual’s condition in an easy-to-remember way. 

The SBAR technique was initially developed by the United States military to facilitate communication on nuclear submarines and has successfully been used in many healthcare organizations, particularly for communication between nurses and other healthcare professionals. SBAR was first introduced by rapid response teams at Kaiser Permanente in Colorado in 2003 and is currently used for developing teamwork and improving patient safety.

The "S" stands for Situation. The first step of SBAR involves identifying oneself and the site or unit the person is calling from and identifying the affected individual using appropriate identifiers like name and date of birth. Next, the individual should briefly state the reason for concern, including symptom onset and severity of symptoms.

The "B" stands for Background. After identifying the situation that needs to be addressed, it is necessary to provide relevant information about the individual. This may include date and time of admission, admitting diagnosis; relevant medical history (e.g., allergies, prior procedures, current medications, etc.); laboratory and diagnostic test results, and the individual’s code status. If a previous lab or diagnostic results are available, this is an excellent time to offer information regarding changes.

The "A" stands for Assessment. After providing all the necessary information, it is essential to consider what might be the underlying cause of the individual’s condition. This typically involves combining the clinical findings with other objective indicators, such as laboratory results or diagnostic tests.

Example: “I think Mr. Jones may have an active GI bleed, but with his history, I am concerned about a cardiac event. We don’t have troponin levels or a recent hematocrit and hemoglobin.”

If the health care professional is concerned about an individual’s condition but does not know what is causing their problem, they might say: “I’m not sure what the problem is, but I am worried that Mr. Jones' condition has worsened.”

The “R” stands for Recommendation. This is the time to voice the health care professional’s recommendation and expectations from the conversation. It is essential to be clear and specific about the urgency of the request and the expected time frame. The patient should repeat any advice given on the phone to ensure effective communication.

Example: “I think it would be a good idea to order labs and an EKG and have you assess Mr. Jones as soon as possible. If you agree, let me know which labs are appropriate, and I’ll order them and the EKG stat. Let me know if you want me to initiate any treatment or additional measures in the meantime."