In standardized handoff protocols, what does SBAR stand for?

• A. Summary, Brief, Analyze, Report.
• B. Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation.
• C. Status, Behavior, Audit, Response.
• D. Sign, Baseline, Action, Review.

Answer: (B)

SBAR is a concise, structured communication framework used during patient handoffs to ensure essential information is shared clearly and promptly. It breaks the message into four parts: Situation, a brief statement of what is happening now; Background, relevant history and context; Assessment, your current analysis or impression of the problem; and Recommendation, the actions you think should be taken and who should do them. This structure helps prevent missing critical details and supports quick, collaborative decision-making, which is why it is the standard in standardized handoff protocols. The other options use terms that aren’t part of SBAR, so they don’t align with this widely used format.