A Standardized Handoff Simulation Promotes Recovery From Auditory Distractions in Resident Physicians.

Introduction: Despite the increasing use of training simulations to teach and assess resident handoffs, simulations that approximate realistic hospital conditions with distractions are lacking. This study explores the effects of a novel simulation-based training intervention on resident handoff performance in the face of prevalent hospital interruptions.

Methods: After a preliminary educational module, entering postgraduate year 1 residents (interns) completed one of the following three handoff simulations: (1) no interruption, (2) hospital noise, or (3) noise and pager interruptions.