Teamwork as a Tool for Patient Safety

Support Materials

Slide Presentation

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References

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  1. Shojania KG, Duncan BW, McDonald KM, Wachter RM, editors. Making Health Care Safer: A Critical Analysis of Patient Safety Practices. Evidence Report/Technology Assessment No. 43, AHRQ Publication No. 01-E058; July 2001. Available online at www.ahrq.gov/clinic/ptsafety/.
  2. Kohn, et al. To Err is Human: 5 Principles for Design of Safety Systems. #3: Promote Effective Team Functioning
  3. Committee on Quality of Healthcare in America. Crossing the Quality Chasm: 6 challenges.#5: Continually advance the effectiveness of teams
  4. Helmreich RL and Merritt AC. Culture at Work in Aviation and Medicine: National, Organizational, and Professional Influences. Aldershot, U.K: Ashgate. 1998.
  5. Salas E, Burke C, and Stagl K. Developing teams and team leaders: strategies and principles, in Leader Development for Transforming Organization. D. Day, SJ Zacarro, SM Halpin (eds.), Mahmway, NJ, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. (in press)
  6. Helmreich RL. On error management: lessons from aviation. British Medical Journal. 2000;320:781-85. homepage.psy.utexas.edu/homepage/group/HelmreichLAB/Publications/pubfiles/pub246.pdf [PDF]

Video

First, Do No Harm

Facilitator's Guide and Outline

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A full outline of the key messages for this module, including links to slides, references, and facilitation tips.

Facilitation Tips

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Tip 1: Icebreaker

These questions may be useful at the beginning of the module

  • What teams have you been a part of?
  • For those whose team worked well: What made the team work well?
  • For those whose team failed: What made the team fail?
  • What do successful teams have in common? What do unsuccessful teams have in common?

Tip 2: Briefing Exercise

  • Break the group up into small groups of 3 - 5 people.
  • Review elements of a briefing: Definition, Why brief, What to brief, How to brief
  • Read or show the scenario to be used in the briefing (preferably from that setting).
  • Give each person a chance to provide a (3 minute) briefing. (e.g., Topic is day's schedule. Briefer is the office manager, the other roles in the group are the office nurse, the receptionist and the physician).
  • At conclusion, ask each team to summarize the plan for the day. Successful briefings are those in which each member of the group knows his/her role and the general plan.
  • Debrief using Briefings Key Elements check sheet
  • Debrief about what was difficult, what was natural. Ask for a commitment to try a briefing in the next week and assess the success of functioning

Tip 3: Assertiveness Exercise

  1. Break the group up into small groups.
  2. Review elements of an assertion: Definition, How to Do it. Characteristics
  3. Read or show the scenario to be used (preferably not a hotbed issue from that setting).
  4. Time permitting, give each person the chance to express his/her point using the recommended methods.
  5. The process requires that
    • The asserter ensures that he/she is heard
    • That, at the conclusion, a decision is made
    • That the decision is announced
    • That the discussion and resolution reflects respect for the way things work
  6. Helpful Hints in Applying The Assertion Model
    • Focus on the common goal: quality care, the welfare of the patient, safety - it's hard to disagree with safe, high quality care
    • Avoid the issue of who's right and who's wrong - concentrate on doing the right thing
    • De-personalize the conversation
    • Actively avoid being perceived as judgmental
    • Be hard on the problem, not the people

Resident's Module: Teaching Notes

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