PATIENT SAFETY: IHI PS 104 TEAMWORK AND COMMUNICATION

Effective health care teams have several important characteristics, including: (A) The ability to rehearse procedures together, like a choir or a sports team. (B) Stable membership; that is, they have the same people on the team from day to day. (C) Effective communication techniques. (D) The ability to achieve good results without strong communication. - Answer-C - Effective health care teams have a shared goal and effective two-way communication. The membership of the team may change frequently (Answer B), and it's quite possible for a health care team to consist of people who have never worked together before (Answer A). That makes strong, two-way communication a critical part of delivering safe care. Which of the following is likely to be the most immediate result of building an effective health care team? (A) Less costly health care (B) Safer care (C) Fewer delays in care (D) Elimination of waste in the system - Answer-B - The best answer is that care will be safer. For example, according to The Joint Commission, an estimated 80 percent of serious medical errors can be linked to miscommunication between caregivers when patients are transferred or "handed-over." One of the hallmarks of effective health care teams is frequent, two-way communication — a characteristic that would likely have an immediate and positive effect on care transitions and safety. While better teamwork can lead to fewer delays, elimination of waste, and even less costly care, these results would likely be secondary to an increase in safety. As a nurse practitioner in a small, rural urgent care clinic, you believe that your clinic team works well together. Which of the following facts would best support your belief? (A) Not a single complaint about unprofessional behavior has been filed by clinic members over the past year. (B) The providers work in rotating shifts and rarely need to transmit information from one shift to the next. (C) The team routinely takes a moment to discuss the plan and voice concerns before doing a procedure. (D) All of the above. - Answer-C - One of the main characteristics of strong health care teams is effective and frequent communication. The absence of unprofessional behavior (Answer A) does not necessarily mean the team is effective. And the failure to share information during shift changes is risky for patients (Answer B).