Frequency of safety net errors in the emergency department: Effect of patient handoffs.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to determine physician awareness of abnormal vital signs and key clinical interventions (oxygen provision, intravenous access) in the emergency department, and to measure the effect of patient handoffs on this awareness.

Methods: This was a prospective observational study at two large, urban, academic emergency departments. Emergency department physicians were asked the following about each of the physician's patients: 1) the number of IV lines, 2) whether the patient was on supplemental oxygen, and 3) whether the patient had any abnormal vital signs.