TITLE:
Healthcare Providers’ Attitudes toward Standardizing Clinical Handover: A Multi-Site Study in Referral Maternity Hospitals in Burkina Faso
AUTHORS:
Mariguetou Compaore, Félicité W. Nana, Nestor Bationo, Souleymane Sidibe, Patrice Ngangue, Romaric Toe, Blandine Thieba, Maxime K. Drabo
KEYWORDS:
Clinical Handover, Healthcare Provider, Attitudes, Standardization, Maternity Care, Burkina Faso
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology,
Vol.15 No.9,
September
12,
2025
ABSTRACT: Background/Objectives: Poor communication between healthcare providers is a leading contributor to adverse events, particularly during clinical handovers. These moments are critical junctures for transferring information essential to patient care. In Burkina Faso, limited evidence exists on healthcare providers’ perceptions of handover practices. This study aimed to explore the attitudes of key maternity care personnel toward the standardization of clinical handovers in referral hospitals. Methods: A qualitative, descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted between August 7 and November 22, 2023, in three referral maternity hospitals. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with purposively selected healthcare providers. Transcripts were analyzed thematically using Nvivo to identify key themes. Results: A total of 29 participants were interviewed. All respondents acknowledged the importance of clinical handovers for patient safety but reported that handover practices were inconsistently applied, especially during shift changes. Most participants supported the idea of standardizing handovers and expressed openness to implementing a structured model. However, anticipated barriers included resistance to change, lack of formal guidelines, and insufficient training on effective handover procedures. Conclusions: Maternity care providers in referral hospitals demonstrated positive attitudes toward the standardization of clinical handovers. These findings provide a foundation for developing and implementing standardized handover protocols aimed at reducing adverse events and improving maternal and neonatal care quality in Burkina Faso.