SBAR is an acronym for Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation; a technique that can be used to facilitate prompt and appropriate communication. This communication model has gained popularity in healthcare settings, especially amongst professions such as physicians and nurses. It is a way for health care professionals to communicate effectively with one another, and also allows for important information to be transferred accurately. The format of SBAR allows for short, organized and predictable flow of information between professionals.

SBAR was first developed by the military, specifically for nuclear submarines. It was then used in the aviation industry, which adopted a similar model before it was put into use in health care. It was introduced to rapid response teams (RRT) at Kaiser Permanente in Colorado in 2002, to investigate patient safety. The main purpose was to alleviate communication problems traced from the differences in communication styles between healthcare professionals. SBAR was later adopted by many other health care organizations. It is among the most popular handover mnemonic systems in use.

It is now widely recommended in healthcare communication. For instance, the Royal College of Physicians of London, United Kingdom, recommends the use of SBAR during the handover of care between medical teams when treating patients who are seriously ill or at risk of deteriorating. SBAR is an included tool in the Interventions to Reduce Acute Care Transfers (INTERACT II) project, a US measure to reduce rehospitalization among residents of long-term care (LTC) facilities.

A few things are necessary for a health care professional to know before beginning an SBAR conversation. A thorough assessment of the patient should be done. The patient’s chart should be on hand with a list of current medications, allergies, IV fluids, and labs. Vital signs should be completed before making the call, and the patient's code status should be known and reported.

This part of SBAR determines what is going on and why health care professionals are needed. Health care professionals become familiar with the environment and the patient. Identify the problem and concern and provide a brief description of it. Be able to describe what is going on with the patient and why they are experiencing what is going on. During this stage of the communication the main goal is to communicate what is happening. It is recommended that this element be brief and last no more than 10 seconds.

It is recommended that health care professionals identify the person with whom they are speaking, to introduce oneself (including title or role) and where one is calling from. Providing information about the patient such as name, age, sex, and reason for admission is also important. Lastly, the health care professional is to communicate the patient's status (such as chest pain or nausea).

The goal of background is to be able to identify and provide the diagnosis or reason for the patient’s admission, their medical status, and history. The background is also the place to determine the reason or context of the patient's visit. During this stage the patient's chart is ready and as much important medical-based information is provided to set up the assessment of data. Examples of medical-based information include date and reason for admission, most recent vital signs and vital signs outside of normal parameters, current medications, allergies, and labs, code status, and other clinically important information.

At this stage, the situation is surveyed to determine the most appropriate course of action. Here the medical professional states what they believe the problem is based on current assessments and medical findings. The assessment should include a focused assessment of problem areas, all lines coming in and out of the patient's body, input and output, bowel and bladder, nutrition, and pain status. Any impertinent information is avoided unless asked for.