Surgical Handover Core Outcome Measures (SH-CORE): a protocol for the development of a core outcome set for trials in surgical handover

Surgical handover is associated with a signicant risk of care failures. Existing research displays methodological deciencies and little consensus on the outcomes that should be used to evaluate interventions in this area This paper reports a protocol to develop a core outcome set (COS) to support standardisation, comparability, and evidence synthesis in future studies of surgical handover between doctors.

This study adheres to the Core Outcome Measures in Effectiveness Trials (COMET) initiative guidance for COS development, including the COS-Standards for Development (COS-STAD) and Reporting (COS-STAR) recommendations. It has been registered prospectively on the COMET database and will be led by an international steering group that includes surgical healthcare professionals, researchers, and patient and public partners. An initial list of reported outcomes was generated through a systematic review of interventions to improve surgical handover (PROSPERO: CRD42022363198). Findings of a qualitative evidence synthesis of patient and public perspectives on handover will augment this list, followed by a real-time Delphi survey involving all stakeholder groups. Each Delphi participant will then be invited to take part in at least one online consensus meeting to nalise the COS.

This study was approved by the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) Research Ethics Committee (202309015). Results will be presented at surgical scientic meetings and published in peer-reviewed journals. A plain English summary will be disseminated through national websites and social media. The authors aim to integrate the COS into the handover curriculum of the Irish national surgical training body and ensure it is shared internationally with other postgraduate surgical training programmes. Collaborators will be encouraged to share the ndings with relevant national health service functions and national bodies.

This study will develop the rst published COS for interventions to improve surgical handover, the rst use of a real-time Delphi survey in a surgical context, and will support the generation of better-quality evidence to inform best practice. Trial registration Page 3/10 Core Outcome Measures in Effectiveness Trials (COMET) initiative registration number 2675. Available at http://www.comet-initiative.org/Studies/Details/2675