Page 31 - FCN

information in a limited time. For the same reason, the framework has then been adopted by many
healthcare organizations across the world. In the context of handover situations among health
professionals, the ISBAR framework may be used in various situations such as shift changes, discharge to
community services, inter and intra-hospital transfer, time-critical situations, procedure documents,
reports, memorandums, and briefings.

The ISBAR framework is simple. It consists of 5 elements that focus a conversation to relevant detail.
All these 5 elements help to focus the information and eliminate irrelevant information. Thus, it provides a
framework so that communication is focused, concise, and complete. These elements are: i) Introduction
constituting who you are, your role, where you are, and which patient you are communicating, ii) Situation
that is a question about what is happening at the moment?, iii) Background involving what are the issues
that led up to this situation?, iv) Assessment on what you believe the problem is?, and lastly v)
Recommendation which relates to the question of what should be done to correct this situation?

ISBAR

BACKGROUND

WHAT?

1) ……………………………………………
HISTORY
……………………………………………

ELEMENTS
…………………………………………… INITIAL PRACTICE:
…………………………………………… 3) …………………………………………… I – Introduction

5)………………………………………………………
……………………………………………
…………………………………………… ………………………………………………………
WHY? …………………………………………… S – Situation

…………………………………………… 6)………………………………………………………
2) ……………………………………………
………………………………………………………
…………………………………………… ……………………………………………

…………………………………………… HANDOVER PRACTICE: B – Background
7)………………………………………………………
…………………………………………… 4) …………………………………………… ………………………………………………………

…………………………………………… ……………………………………………
A – Assessment
8)………………………………………………………
……………………………………………
………………………………………………………
……………………………………………
…………………………………………… R – Recommendation
9)………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………

pg. 24