Development and pilot evaluation of a structured curriculum for surgical handover

Background Effective handover communication is a core professional competency in graduate medical education, yet very few junior doctors working in surgery receive formal training. A structured curriculum was developed and piloted to teach best practices in surgical handover, based on a recognised curricular framework. Methods The study was carried out at two academic tertiary hospitals in Dublin, Ireland. Interns attending mandatory weekly teaching sessions participated in a 60-minute intervention combining didactic teaching, video demonstration, small group simulation, and facilitated discussion. Self-reported confidence in delivering and participating in handover was assessed using pre- and post-session surveys. Post-session feedback on curriculum content and format was also collected. Results A total of 59 interns attended the teaching sessions, with 35 providing paired pre- and post-session data. Self-reported confidence significantly improved across all assessed domains assessed (p < 0.001), including confidence in handing over to peers and senior colleagues, asking clarifying questions during handover, and providing a summary or ‘readback’ at the end of handover. Feedback from 46 participants indicated that the session was well-received, with video demonstrations and simulated practice rated most helpful. Didactic teaching and peer feedback were rated least helpful. A majority (76.1%; n=35) reported that the session would lead to changes in their handover practice. Conclusions This pilot study showed that a simulation-based curriculum is effective in improving interns’ self-reported confidence in delivering and receiving surgical handover. The teaching session was well-received, easily integrated into existing institutional infrastructure, and required minimal resources to carry out. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12909-025-08044-3.