Summary of how the three components of sign-out are manifest in each type of sign-out
| Sign-out type | Information exchange (for data) | Personal responsibility (for patients) | Accountability (for tasks) |
| 06:00–07:00 Sign-out of night-cover to primary day interns | 1. Night-cover provides information on patients’ condition* | 3. Primary day interns check if to-do tasks were completed | 2. Night-cover provides information on tasks completed for unexpected events |
| 11:00–12:00 Sign-out of night-cover to day-cover interns | 3. Night-cover communicates to-do tasks and contingency plan to day-cover | 2. Night-cover updates to-do tasks and contingency plans | 1. Night-cover presents justification of to-do tasks and contingency plan to attending at rounds and obtains senior resident endorsement before sign-out |
| 20:00–21:00 Sign-out of primary day interns to incoming night-cover | 2. Primary day interns communicate to-do tasks and contingency plans to incoming night-cover | 1. Primary day interns prepare to-do tasks and contingency plans for senior resident endorsement | 3. Primary day interns explain reasons for and seek questions on to-do tasks and contingency plans from incoming night-cover |
*Numbers refer to sequence of activities during each sign-out type.