Measuring handoff quality in labor and delivery: development, validation, and application of the Coordination of Handoff Effectiveness Questionnaire (CHEQ).

Background: A prospective, nonblinded intervention study was conducted (1) to evaluate the psychometric properties of a new questionnaire, the CHEQ (Coordination of Handoff Effectiveness Questionnaire) for measuring the quality of handoff interactions in labor and delivery (L&D) and (2) to demonstrate the utility of the CHEQ in evaluating the effectiveness of a previously described intervention, the tangible handoff, for standardizing handoffs in L&D.

Methods: The CHEQ incorporates three existing handoff-related scales: teamwork climate, job satisfaction, and burnout. Two new scales--information quality and process quality--were developed, refined, and evaluated.

The tangible handoff: a team approach for advancing structured communication in labor and delivery.

The tangible handoff tool, a standardized, patient-specific, two-sided pocket card that guides nurses through transfer of care at each shift, is intended to improve continuity and coordination of care in labor and delivery.