What is SBAR?
In the fast-paced environment of healthcare, clear communication can be the difference between a smooth process and a critical error. Providing too much extraneous detail can obscure the main point, while providing too little can leave out vital context. To solve this, effective teams use a shared framework for communication—a mutually agreed-upon structure that sets clear expectations for both the sender and the receiver of information.
One of the most powerful and widely used frameworks is SBAR. SBAR is an easy-to-remember acronym that provides a simple structure for sharing information.
It stands for:
- Situation (what is going on?)
- Background (what is the context?)
- Assessment (what do I think the problem is?)
- Recommendation (what do I suggest or need from you?)
Using this framework ensures that the most important details are conveyed logically and concisely, optimizing team communication when it matters most.
Resources
The video below provides a concise introduction to the SBAR framework, explaining what it is, why it’s important, and how it helps optimize team communication in any clinical setting.
Communication Tools: SBAR
This video explains why structured communication is vital in a clinical setting and breaks down the four core components: Situation, Background, Assessment, and Recommendation. It is an excerpt from the QPSi Academy course, Team Up for Success: Enhancing Healthcare Outcomes through Interprofessional Collaboration. Follow this link to browse free CME courses in a variety of topics created by UF Health Experts.
Transcript: Situation Background Assessment Recommendation
In this lesson, we will introduce the concept of the team communication tool SBAR. SBAR is a common communication framework used by effective teams to optimize communication.
Health care is fast paced and decisions are sometimes literally life or death. Details are important, but the key is providing the right details. Providing too many extraneous details can distract from the primary message.
Thus, your team members need to be concise with the information they provide. A mutually agreed upon framework for sending and receiving messages can optimize team communication.
With a shared framework, the sender and receiver have particular expectations for how the information is shared. The framework can help highlight when information is missing or when more information is needed.
One powerful example is SBAR. The SBAR framework is easy. The initials stand for:
Situation. What is going on with the patient?
Background. What is the clinical background or context?
Assessment. What do I think the problem is?
Recommendation or request. What would I recommend? What do I need from you?