We’ve all been there. You have an urgent message for a coworker, but you find yourself rambling and their eyes glaze over before you’re able to get your point across. SBAR is a simple framework that can help you communicate quickly and concisely in any setting. Describe the situation that requires attention, the patient's background, your assessment of the situation and your recommendation for next steps. Use this tool and share it with colleagues, patients and families. They’ll thank you!
What is SBAR?
See It In Action

Avoid this common pitfall...
Avoid skipping the R in SBAR just because you don't know exactly what should happen next. It's perfectly fine for a recommendation to be more of a request for support, like this:
"My recommendation is that you evaluate this patient to see whether any follow-up care is needed."Did Randal use SBAR the right way?

Did Maggie use the SBAR tool correctly?

Help Chris and Dr. Michaels use the SBAR tool.
Use SBAR with your patients and their families.
Have patients and families fill out an SBAR form to help them communicate with you. They can describe their situation (or symptoms), the background related to those symptoms, their assessment as to what is going on and their recommendation (or request).
Use SBAR to communicate a change in a patient's status.
Let's say you notice a change in your patient's condition.
You can use SBAR to provide context and make a recommendation or request to the provider.
Use SBAR to send an important email.
Let's say you need to send an email to staff about a change in a standard operating procedure.
To keep it concise and relevant, use the SBAR tool to organize the information.
Use SBAR to bring your team up to speed.
Let's say you’re in a team setting and need to huddle up to revisit your plan.
You can use SBAR to provide context and make a recommendation or request to the provider.
SBAR is a tool you can use anytime you need to get your point across quickly and clearly.

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