SBAR Toolkit User Guide

Introduction
This toolkit provides learning materials and resources about SBAR, a tool that allows members of a
healthcare team to communicate patient information effectively and concisely. The material can be used
to conduct a one-hour facilitated learning session on SBAR.
After the SBAR Toolkit is implemented, healthcare professionals will be able to:

Recognize the importance of communication.

Recognize the connection between communication and medical error.

Define communication and discuss the standards of effective communication.

Identify the steps of the SBAR tool and use them for information exchange.

Toolkit Contents
The SBAR Toolkit contains the following material:
1. Toolkit Overviewan overview of the toolkit designed to introduce target audience members to
toolkit contents.
2. Toolkit User Guidea guide describing how target audience members can use the toolkit.
3. Facilitation Guide a guide with teaching points and exercises that can be used to facilitate a
live session.
4. Facilitation Slidesa PowerPoint presentation that can be used in conjunction with the
Facilitation Guide; it includes video clips and case study exercises.
5. Handouta printed version of the Facilitation Slides with room for participant notes.
6. Quick Reviewa one-page handout summarizing the topic.
7. Additional Resourcesa list of additional resources and an accompanying folder that includes
the article SBAR: A Shared Mental Model for Improving Communication Between Clinicians,
success stories, measurement tools, and a pocket card and poster that can be printed and
laminated.
8. Action Planning Guidestep-by-step instructions for implementing briefs and huddles and other
TeamSTEPPS tools within healthcare organizations.
9. Toolkit Evaluation Forma form for providing feedback to toolkit developers.

Using the Toolkit

For Individual Healthcare Professionals

Healthcare professionals can use toolkit material as a reference or for a quick review.

For Patient Safety Managers in Military Treatment Facilities

Patient Safety Managers can use the toolkit as a resource as they work to improve patient safety
in their facilities.

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For Educators

Review the toolkit materials to determine how they can best fit into your existing curriculum. You
may choose to provide a stand-alone class session on SBAR or to incorporate material on SBAR
into existing courses on communication, teamwork, patient safety, or related topics.

Develop a plan for implementation of SBAR (see Action Planning Guide, Step 6).

Measure for effectiveness of SBAR (see Action Planning Guide, Step 5).

For Facilitators
Prepare your session using the SBAR Toolkit Facilitator Guide and supporting materials. The guide
provides lecture material as well as instructions for incorporating the facilitation slides and video clips into
a presentation. Incorporate other supporting material as needed. If you are a new facilitator, see the
Preparing for Instruction section of this User Guide for additional tips.
The Facilitator Guide includes icons that identify different actions that can be taken by the facilitator
and/or participant. The icons and their corresponding actions are shown below.

Preparing for Instruction

If you are facilitating a session using the SBAR Toolkit, follow these steps to ensure that your session
runs smoothly.
Before the Facilitated Session
Complete these activities before the day of your facilitated session:

Select and coordinate the date of your session with the appropriate decision makers.

Identify a locationtry to find a meeting area where participants can focus on the topic with as
few interruptions as possible.

Publicize the session as appropriate.

Schedule participants.

Distribute advance information and preworkmake sure learners have enough time to review the
material before the session.

Print copies of participant materials (e.g. Handout, Quick Review, and other materials).

Prepare and print an evaluation form to distribute after the session. Learner feedback is important
for assessing the effectiveness of your session.

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Print a master copy of all course materials for yourself and review each item. You may find it
helpful to assemble this material in a three-ring binder, using tabs to separate each section.

User Guide
Facilitation Guide
Facilitation Slides (be sure to view linked video clips)
Handouts
Additional Resources (articles, tools, etc.)

Practice!

Review the material

Use the equipment
Present a practice session
On the Day of the Session
To ensure that your session runs smoothly, arrive early, and verify that everything is available and
operational.

Availability of chairs, tables

Availability of handouts

Availability and operation of multi-media equipment

Record Keeping
During and after your session, follow these steps to assist with record keeping:

Distribute and collect an attendance roster at the beginning of the course.

Distribute and collect course evaluations at the completion of the course.

File this information as appropriate for your organization.

Measuring Results
Use the Action Planning Guide included in this toolkit to create a plan for testing the effectiveness of the
SBAR implementation. As part of your plan, you may wish to identify the following:

A measure and target ranges for the measure

Methods for data collection, analysis, interpretation, and presentation

A timeline for data collection (usually before training (baseline) and after training)

Resources required

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