SBAR and Escalation

By VeriScorePrep Team · 4 min

SBAR — Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation — is a structured communication tool that makes interdisciplinary handoffs clear, complete, and quick.

The structure

• Situation: who, what, when. "I'm calling about Mr. Gomez in room 412. He has new chest pain since 14:30."
• Background: relevant history and context. "He's a 68-year-old admitted with heart failure. No prior cardiac events. Current meds include metoprolol and lasix."
• Assessment: what you think is happening, with objective data. "He rates the pain 7/10, diaphoretic, BP 110/68, HR 96. ECG shows no ST elevation. I'm concerned for acute coronary syndrome."
• Recommendation: what you need now. "I'd like you to come evaluate him and we'll get troponin started in the meantime. When can you be here?"

Why it matters

Provider communication failures are a common cause of patient harm. SBAR ensures the message is clear, the urgency is calibrated, and the recommendation is explicit. The provider knows what you need without guessing.

Tips

Practice it on simple calls first. Lead with urgency if the situation is critical ("I need you to come now"). Always close the loop — confirm the next action and timing before ending the call.