To the Editor: I refer to the opinion piece by Brewster and Waxman.1 The authors defined collegiality as “a work environment where responsibility and accountability are shared by colleagues, with mutual respect”. However, in a health care setting, professional competency and patient safety are paramount; medical collegiality is desirable, but should not trump these goals. Collegial courtesy can compromise good patient care, despite concerns of competency in clinical judgement or skills.
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- 1. Brewster DJ, Waxman BP. Adding kindness at handover to improve our collegiality: the K‐ISBAR tool. Med J Aust 2018; 209: 482–483. https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2018/209/11/adding-kindness-handover-improve-our-collegiality-k-isbar-tool
- 2. The Joint Commission Office of Quality and Patient Safety. Sentinel event data — root causes by event type 2004–2015. USA: The Joint Commission, 2016.
- 3. Jorm CM, White S, Kaneen T. Clinical handover: critical communications. Med J Aust 2009; 190 (Suppl): S108–S109. https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2009/190/11/clinical-handover-critical-communications
- 4. Aldrich R, Duggan A, Lane K, Nair K, Hill KN. ISBAR revisited: identifying and solving barriers to effective clinical handover in inter‐hospital transfer: final project report. Newcastle: Hunter New England Health, 2009.
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- 6. Yee KC, Wong MC, Turner P. “HAND ME AN ISOBAR”: a pilot study of an evidence‐based approach to improving shift‐to‐shift clinical handover. Med J Aust 2009; 190: S121–S124. https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2009/190/11/hand-me-isobar-pilot-study-evidence-based-approach-improving-shift-shift;
- 7. Porteous JM, Stewart‐Wynne EG, Connolly M, Crommelin PF. iSoBAR — a concept and handover checklist: the National Clinical Handover Initiative. Med J Aust 2009;190 (Suppl): S152–S156. https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2009/190/11/isobar-concept-and-handover-checklist-national-clinical-handover-initiative;
- 8. Stead K, Kumar S, Schultz TJ, et al. Teams communicating through STEPPS. Med J Aust 2009; 190 (Suppl): S128–S132. https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2009/190/11/teams-communicating-through-stepps
- 9. Clark E, Squire S, Heyme A, et al. The PACT project: improving communication at handover. Med J Aust 2009; 190: S125–S127. https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2009/190/11/pact-project-improving-communication-handover
- 10. Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care. ISOBAR ID card. https://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Handover-ID-card.pdf (viewed May 2019).
- 11. Avard B, McKay H, Slater N, et al. COMPASS — pointing you in the right direction. Canberra: COMPASS, 2008. https://www.health.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0029/436664/compass_manual.pdf (viewed May 2019).
- 12. Heinrichs W, Bauman E, Dev P. SBAR “flattens the hierarchy” among caregivers. Stud Health Technol Inform 2012; 173: 175–182.
- 13. NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement. Safer care: SBAR — situation, background, assessment, recommendation — implementation and training guide. Coventry: NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement, 2010. https://www.england.nhs.uk/improvement-hub/wp-content/uploads/sites/44/2017/11/SBAR-Implementation-and-Training-Guide.pdf (viewed May 2019).
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