The SBAR (Situation-Background-Assessment-Recommendation) technique, created by clinical staff at Kaiser Permanente in Colorado, provides a framework for communication between members of the health care team about a patient's condition. SBAR is an easy-to-remember, concrete mechanism useful for framing any conversation, especially critical ones, requiring a clinician’s immediate attention and action. It allows for an easy and focused way to set expectations for what will be communicated and how between members of the team, which is essential for developing teamwork and fostering a culture of patient safety.
Featured Resource: SBAR Tool
The SBAR Tool contains guidelines that explain in detail how to implement the SBAR technique, and a worksheet/script that a provider can use to organize information in preparation for communicating with a physician about a critically ill patient.
