Hu J, Yang WW, Qin W, Ren TT, Zhang MX, Zhu Q. Developing a standardized safety handover system for post-anesthesia patients in gastrointestinal surgery: Construction and validation. World J Gastrointest Surg 2026; 18(3): 115349 [DOI: 10.4240/wjgs.v18.i3.115349]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Qin Zhu, Associate Chief Nurse, Department of Anesthesiology and Surgery, Nantong University Affiliated Hospital, No. 20 Xisi Road, Nantong 226001, Jiangsu Province, China. zhuqintdfy1@163.com
Research Domain of This Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Article-Type of This Article
Retrospective Study
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Mar 27, 2026 (publication date) through Mar 30, 2026
Times Cited of This Article
Times Cited (0)
Journal Information of This Article
Publication Name
World Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery
ISSN
1948-9366
Publisher of This Article
Baishideng Publishing Group Inc, 7041 Koll Center Parkway, Suite 160, Pleasanton, CA 94566, USA
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Hu J, Yang WW, Qin W, Ren TT, Zhang MX, Zhu Q. Developing a standardized safety handover system for post-anesthesia patients in gastrointestinal surgery: Construction and validation. World J Gastrointest Surg 2026; 18(3): 115349 [DOI: 10.4240/wjgs.v18.i3.115349]
Jia Hu, Wei-Wei Yang, Qin Zhu, Department of Anesthesiology and Surgery, Nantong University Affiliated Hospital, Nantong 226001, Jiangsu Province, China
Wen Qin, Eastern Surgical Center, Nantong University Affiliated Hospital, Nantong 226001, Jiangsu Province, China
Tian-Tian Ren, Ming-Xiang Zhang, Anesthesia Awakening Room, Nantong University Affiliated Hospital, Nantong 226001, Jiangsu Province, China
Author contributions: Hu J designed the study, conducted data collection and analysis, and drafted the initial manuscript; Yang WW, Qin W, Ren TT, and Zhang MX participated in data verification and provided critical input on manuscript content refinement; Zhu Q supervised the entire research process, formulated key research directions, revised the manuscript for intellectual content, coordinated peer review responses, and ensured the integrity of the work. All authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
Supported by the Research Project of Nantong Municipal Health Commission, No. MSZ2024011.
Institutional review board statement: This study has been reviewed and approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of Nantong University Affiliated Hospital, No. 2025-K129-01.
Informed consent statement: All the individuals who participated in this study provided their written informed consent prior to study enrolment.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Data sharing statement: No additional data are available.
Corresponding author: Qin Zhu, Associate Chief Nurse, Department of Anesthesiology and Surgery, Nantong University Affiliated Hospital, No. 20 Xisi Road, Nantong 226001, Jiangsu Province, China. zhuqintdfy1@163.com
Received: November 7, 2025 Revised: December 8, 2025 Accepted: January 12, 2026 Published online: March 27, 2026 Processing time: 140 Days and 3.3 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND
The anesthesia recovery period after gastrointestinal surgery is a critical stage with a high risk of hypothermia, agitation, infusion failure, and other adverse events. Delayed or incomplete transfer of key information during handover may result in missed risks, inappropriate management, and compromised patient safety. Current handover practices vary widely and lack standardized, quantifiable indicators tailored to gastrointestinal surgery. This study was conducted to address these gaps by developing and validating a structured safety handover management system. The hypothesis was that a standardized indicator-based system would improve handover quality and reduce postoperative adverse events.
AIM
To construct and validate a safety handover indicator system for patients undergoing gastrointestinal surgery in the anesthesia recovery period.
METHODS
This observational study included 500 patients recovering from gastrointestinal surgery at a tertiary hospital from June 2024 to June 2025. A preliminary handover indicator system was developed through literature review, semi-structured interviews, and Delphi consultation. Indicator weights were determined using the analytic hierarchy process. The system was applied to 250 patients and compared with 250 patients receiving conventional handover. Outcomes included handover time, omission rate, complication incidence, adverse events, and staff satisfaction. Statistical analysis used χ2 and t-tests.
RESULTS
Expert engagement in both Delphi rounds was 100%, with authority coefficients of 0.87 and 0.89, respectively. Kendall's harmony coefficient increased from 0.216 to 0.331 (both P < 0.01). The final system comprised three first-level, 12 second-level, and 38 third-level indicators. Compared with the control group, the experimental group showed longer handover time but markedly lower omission rate. Rates of hypothermia, agitation, and infusion failure were significantly reduced (all P < 0.05), and staff satisfaction scores were higher across all dimensions (P < 0.001).
CONCLUSION
The validated safety handover system standardizes postoperative transfer in gastrointestinal surgery, reduces errors and adverse events, and enhances patient safety and workflow efficiency, supporting its suitability for clinical implementation.
Core Tip: This study developed a structured safety handover system for patients undergoing gastrointestinal surgery using literature review, Delphi consultation, and the analytic hierarchy process. The final system included three first-level, 12 second-level, and 38 third-level indicators. In clinical application, the experimental group showed longer handover time, reduced information omission, lower rates of hypothermia, agitation, and infusion failure, and higher staff satisfaction (all P < 0.05). These findings demonstrate the effectiveness of the system in improving handover quality and patient safety.
