NCHD handover in the acute mental health setting: a quality improvement initiative implementing an electronic handover tool.

Background: Cork University Hospital, Ireland's largest teaching hospital, faced challenges in maintaining consistent handover processes in its Acute Mental Health Unit (AMHU). Prior to 2019, handovers relied on informal methods, risking information loss and compromising patient care. This quality improvement (QI) initiative aimed to standardise handover practices using an electronic tool integrated with the ISBAR communication protocol.