I-PASS Handoff

Learn more about the I-PASS Handoff and get a free PDF template to supplement your verbal I-PASS handoff usage.

By Ericka Pingol on Aug 2, 2025.

Fact Checked by Gale Alagos.

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What is I-PASS Handoff?

The I-PASS Handoff is a structured communication tool that enhances quality and patient safety by addressing communication failures during verbal handoffs across various healthcare settings. Recognizing that miscommunication is a leading cause of preventable patient harm, I-PASS has been widely implemented to support consistent handoff processes and minimize errors in clinical environments.

Each part of the I-PASS mnemonic represents a critical component of the handoff:

Illness severity: Highlights the patient’s current status.
Patient summary: Provides a concise overview of the patient’s history, treatment plan, and assessments.
Action list: Details tasks with clear responsibilities and deadlines.
Situational awareness & contingency planning: Prepares for potential complications.
Synthesis by receiver: Ensures understanding by having the receiving provider recap the information.

The system’s design allows it to be implemented across multiple handoff settings to overcome organizational barriers to effective communication. In a major 2014 study by Starmer et al., I-PASS showed a 30% reduction in serious, preventable errors across nine hospitals. A 2023 follow-up in 32 hospitals found that I-PASS reduced adverse events by 47%, further validating its value in clinical outcomes.

To support healthcare providers, the I-PASS Institute offers the I-PASS Handoff Program, which includes training, workshops, and resources for skill-building in handoff standardization. This program equips healthcare teams with practical skills for implementing the I-PASS methodology. It enhances their ability to communicate critical patient information accurately, thereby reducing the risk of miscommunication-related errors (O’Toole et al., 2018).

While the I-PASS handover system is primarily designed as a verbal handoff tool, written documentation can effectively complement it to reinforce clarity, provide a permanent reference, and reduce reliance on memory. Written documentation enables healthcare professionals to capture and review critical patient information, ensuring that nothing essential is overlooked or miscommunicated during the transition. An implemented I-PASS Handoff tool serves as a backup in fast-paced environments, where time constraints and the complexity of patient cases might lead to information being forgotten or misinterpreted.

I-PASS Handoff Template

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How does our I-PASS Handoff template work?

Our I-PASS Handoff template is a supplementary form designed to enhance the I-PASS handoff process. It provides a structured way to document essential information during patient transitions. While the I-PASS medical handoff tool is typically a verbal practice, this template offers a written component to reinforce the accuracy and consistency of your handoff.

Using the I-PASS Handoff template lets you document each key aspect systematically, ensuring critical information is communicated effectively.

Step 1: Download the template

Click " Use template" to access the I-PASS patient handoff template via the Carepatron app, allowing you to customize the resource for your organization's needs. Choose "Download" to get a print-ready I-PASS Handoff Template PDF version you can print anytime, anywhere.

Step 2: Integrate with verbal handoff practice

Use the I-PASS template alongside your verbal handoff. As you communicate each I-PASS element verbally, document details in the corresponding sections of the template. This reinforces clarity and provides a written record for reference, reducing the risk of miscommunication or overlooked details.

Step 3: Store and update regularly

After each handoff, store the completed I-PASS form in the patient’s medical records or your organization's digital storage system for easy access and reference. Regularly update the document with any significant changes in the patient’s status or action plan, ensuring that it remains a current and accurate reflection of the patient’s needs.

Other handoff tools for healthcare

Healthcare organizations can improve patient handoffs and communication using several structured handoff tools beyond I-PASS, each aimed to reduce preventable adverse events and improve patient safety. Here’s an overview of effective options:

Situation-Background-Assessment-Recommendation (SBAR): The SBAR tool serves as both a verbal and written handoff method. SBAR has effectively reduced adverse events, improved communication among healthcare providers, and promoted patient safety (Shahid & Thomas, 2018).
Situation, History, Assessment, Recommendations/Results, and Questions (SHARQ): Developed by Sandlin (2007), SHARQ is a validated tool specifically designed for perioperative nurses to reduce communication errors. It supports comprehensive handoffs during patient transitions, thus minimizing risks of adverse events.
Administrative Data, New Client Information, Tasks to be Performed, Illness Severity, and Contingency Plans (ANTICIpate): Focused on delivering structured handoffs, ANTICIpate encompasses critical elements to ensure clear, consistent, and complete communication during patient transitions. This approach, recommended by the National Centre for Quality Calibration (2015), aims to support effective communication.

By implementing tools like I-PASS and these additional structured handoff methods, healthcare organizations can make significant strides in improving the quality of patient handoffs, reducing preventable adverse events, and enhancing overall communication and patient safety.

References

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. (2023, July 23). Tool: I-PASS. https://www.ahrq.gov/teamstepps-program/curriculum/communication/tools/ipass.html

National Centre for Quality Calibration. (2015). Handoff communication best practices https://www.ncha.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Safe-Table_Handoff-Best-Practices_FINAL.pdf

O’Toole, J., Starmer, A., Calaman, S., Campos, M.-L., Hepps, J., Lopreiato, J., Patel, S., Rosenbluth, G., Schnipper, J., Sectish, T., Srivastava, R., West, D., Yu, C., Landrigan, C., & Spector, N. (2018). I-PASS Mentored implementation handoff curriculum: Champion training materials. MedEdPORTAL, 14. https://doi.org/10.15766/mep_2374-8265.10794

Sandlin, D. (2007). Improving patient safety by implementing a standardized and consistent approach to hand-off communication. Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing, 22(4), 289–292. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jopan.2007.05.010

Shahid, S., & Thomas, S. (2018). Situation, background, assessment, recommendation (SBAR) communication tool for handoff in health care – A narrative review. Safety in Health, 4(1), 1–9. https://safetyinhealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40886-018-0073-1

Starmer, A. J., Spector, N. D., O’Toole, J. K., Bismilla, Z., Calaman, S., Campos, M.-L., Coffey, M., Destino, L. A., Everhart, J. L., Goldstein, J., Graham, D. A., Hepps, J. H., Howell, E. E., Kuzma, N., Maynard, G., Melvin, P., Patel, S. J., Popa, A., Rosenbluth, G., & Schnipper, J. L. (2023). Implementation of the I-PASS handoff program in diverse clinical environments: A multicenter prospective effectiveness implementation study. Journal of Hospital Medicine, 18(1), 5–14. https://doi.org/10.1002/jhm.12979

Starmer, A. J., Spector, N. D., Srivastava, R., West, D. C., Rosenbluth, G., Allen, A. D., Noble, E. L., Tse, L. L., Dalal, A. K., Keohane, C. A., Lipsitz, S. R., Rothschild, J. M., Wien, M. F., Yoon, C. S., Zigmont, K. R., Wilson, K. M., O’Toole, J. K., Solan, L. G., Aylor, M., & Bismilla, Z. (2014). Changes in medical errors after implementation of a handoff program. New England Journal of Medicine, 371(19), 1803–1812. https://doi.org/10.1056/nejmsa1405556

Commonly asked questions

Situation-Background-Assessment-Recommendation (SBAR) and Illness Severity, Patient Summary, Action List, Situation Awareness, Synthesis by Receiver (I-PASS) are both structured handoff communication tools, but they differ in focus and application. SBAR is straightforward and typically used for quick, concise updates that allow healthcare providers to communicate critical information clearly. In contrast, I-PASS is more comprehensive and is implemented primarily for detailed patient handoffs, especially during transitions in care where thorough patient information is critical to prevent adverse events.

The 5 P’s of patient handoff communication—Patient, Plan, Purpose, Problems, Precautions—are designed to support structured, efficient communication during transitions of care. This framework ensures that essential details about the patient’s condition and care plan are shared accurately, minimizing misunderstandings and enhancing the continuity of care.

In healthcare, a "handoff" and a "pass" both refer to the transfer of responsibility for patient care from one provider to another, but "handoff" is the more formal term used to describe this structured communication process.