Checklist
Hand off the uncertainty, not just the status
A clean handoff that hides uncertainty is clean in the wrong way.
When it fits
- The next person could mistake an unresolved assumption for a settled fact.
When to avoid it
- Do not dump every possible unknown into the handoff; prioritize uncertainty that can change safety, sequence or decision-making.
Checklist
- The receiver can distinguish evidence, hypothesis and open question before taking over.
Why it matters
Separate what is confirmed from what is suspected, what recently changed and what still needs verification. Highlight unknowns that can change the next action. The receiver should inherit the actual decision state, not a polished story that removes the very uncertainty they need to manage.
An example
'Confirmed: two BPs failed. Suspected: channel-specific mapping. Unknown: whether source values differ. Recent change: transport 49208.'
Check your result
The receiver can distinguish evidence, hypothesis and open question before taking over.
Keep this limit in mind
- Do not dump every possible unknown into the handoff; prioritize uncertainty that can change safety, sequence or decision-making.
Connected ideas
Useful withHand off the contingency with the task
Evidence and sources
AHRQ TeamSTEPPS handoff guidance includes communicating uncertainty, recent changes and the current plan rather than presenting unresolved information as settled.
Too much uncertainty without prioritization can obscure the main risk; identify which unknowns can change the next action.
Tool: Handoff · Knowledge and information transferred during handoff