Evaluation of long term retention and utilization of the situation, background, assessment, recommendation (SBAR) communication technique

Introduction: Effective communication as part of an interprofessional team is a required standard of pharmacy education. The Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation (SBAR) communication technique is an evidence-based method shown to improve patient safety, and is embedded in some curricula of pharmacy and other health care professions. The aim of this study is to determine whether students can utilize the SBAR communication technique during an interprofessional skills assessment one year following initial instruction. Methods: Students are initially trained on the SBAR technique in an interprofessional setting using the Team Strategies and Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety (TeamSTEPPS) method in the fall of the second professional year. One year later, students participated in a simulated interaction with a physician as part of the pulmonary module of the pharmacotherapeutics series. Faculty evaluators noted how many and which components of the SBAR technique students used during the interaction. The simulation was run for two academic years, results of which were compared. Results: There was a significant difference in the number of students who used all four components of SBAR. A significant difference also existed between the use of the “situation” and “background” components. Conclusion: The TeamSTEPPS method appears to be an effective method to train students on the SBAR communication technique and results in long term retention. Pharmacy programs should consider the use of the TeamSTEPPS method early in their curricula.