SBAR

Also called Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation

SBAR is a structure for clinical communication: Situation, Background, Assessment and Recommendation. It is widely used for handovers and escalation.

Why it matters in a workup

Situation says what is happening now. Background gives the relevant history. Assessment gives your view. Recommendation says what you need from the listener.

The structure makes handovers shorter and harder to misread, especially by phone or at night.

Put it into practice

Open with the situation in one sentence
Keep the background to what bears on it
End with a specific request and a time frame

Frequently asked questions

Can SBAR be written as well as spoken?

Yes. Many teams use it for written handovers and escalation notes as well as calls.

General guidance on clinical documentation, not advice about any individual patient and not legal advice.

Glossary

HandoverA handover transfers responsibility for a patient from one clinician or team to another, with the information they need to continue care.
Discharge summaryA discharge summary tells the patient's primary care physician what happened in the hospital: diagnoses, treatment, medication changes and what needs follow-up.