Intrateam coverage is common, intrateam handoffs are not

We have traditionally viewed continuity of care with a particular intern as important for high-quality inpatient care, but this continuity is difficult to achieve. As we move to a model of team rather than individual continuity, information transfers between team members become critical. When discontinuity between the primary team and a cross-covering team occurs, this informational continuity is managed through formal handoffs. Accordingly, there has been ample research on handoffs between different teams, but there has been little published literature to date to describe handoffs between members of the same team. Therefore, we set out (1) to learn how interns view intrateam handoffs and (2) to identify intern-perceived problems with intrateam handoffs.