Problem: Communication failures have been identified as a leading cause of sentinel events.
Communication failures have been shown to lead to patient management errors which include
falls risk, medication administration mis-management or error, and delay in patient treatment.
Studies show that SBAR (Situation-Background-Assessment-Recommendation), a structured
communication tool, helps guide communication among healthcare professionals and when used,
can reduce the incidence of sentinel events and improve patient health outcomes.
Purpose: The purpose of this systematic review was to assess the literature evaluating the effectiveness of
SBAR utilization by healthcare providers on patient health outcomes.
Search Strategy: The Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Cochrane Library
Databases, PubMed, and non-indexed journals were searched for studies published from 2008 to
2019. Articles in English, with keywords SBAR, communication, patient/health outcomes, nurse,
physician/doctor, interprofessional healthcare team or patient safety were eligible for inclusion.
Studies conducted outside of inpatient settings or in simulated settings, and studies that did not
measure patient outcomes were excluded.
Results of Literature Search: Out of 570 articles identified, eight articles met the inclusion criteria.
Synthesis of Evidence: Outcomes measured described in the articles include collaboration and perception of
communication (n=7), incident reports related to poor communication (n=3), unplanned
intensive care unit (ICU) admissions (n=1), decrease in unexpected deaths (n=1), and Foley
removal compliance (n=1). Two overarching themes were noted: perception of collaboration and
patient outcomes. There were significant improvements in perception of collaboration and
communication, patient safety, number of incident reports, unexpected deaths, readmission rates,
and Foley catheter removal compliance. Although one study noted a decrease in near-miss
reporting and in the number of major falls, there was an overall increase in falls.
Implications for Practice: SBAR utilization among healthcare providers was found to have positive patient health outcomes
as a result of clear, concise communication. Being at the forefront of patient care, registered
nurses need to be educated in and encouraged to implement SBAR as a structured
communication tool when speaking with healthcare professionals.No embargoAcademic Major: Nursin
