Writing information transfers for out-of-hours palliative care: a controlled trial among GPs.

OBJECTIVE: The aim was to evaluate the effect of the implementation of an information handover form regarding patients receiving palliative care. Outcome was the information available for the out-of-hours GP co-operative.

DESIGN: We conducted a controlled trial.

SETTING: All GPs in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

INTERVENTION: The experimental group (N = 240) received an information handover form and an invitation for a one-hour training, the control group (N =  186) did not receive a handover form or training. We studied contacts with the GP co-operative concerning patients in palliative care for the presence and quality of information transferred by the patient's own GP.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Proportion of contacts in which information was available and proportion of adequate information transfer.

RESULTS: Overall information was transferred by the GPs in 179 of the 772 first palliative contacts (23.2%). The number of contacts in the experimental group in which information was available increased significantly after intervention from 21% to 30%, compared to a decrease from 23% to 19% in the control group. The training had no additional effect. The content of the transferred information was adequate in 61.5%. There was no significant difference in the quality of the content between the groups.

CONCLUSION: The introduction of a handover form resulted in a moderate increase of information transfers to the GP co-operative. However, the total percentage of contacts in which this information was present remained rather low. GP co-operatives should develop additional policies to improve information transfer. Key points  The out-of-hours period is potentially problematic for the delivery of optimal palliative care, often due to inadequate information transfer.  Introduction of a handover form resulted in a moderate increase of transferred information.  The percentage of palliative contacts remained low in cases where information was available.  Adequate information was transferred in more than half of the cases.