Implementing TeamSTEPPS® Training for an Interdisciplinary Healthcare Team to Improve Teamwork

Background: Ineffective teamwork and communication increase the risk of adverse patient outcomes. An evidence-based teamwork training intervention was implemented to improve teamwork and communication. Aims /Objectives: The team participated in a TeamSTEPPS® training program. The aims and objectives were to improve the staff’s attitudes and perceptions of teamwork and communication; pre, post and sustained at 30-days, reduce the number of documented near misses and measure for daily use of the newly acquired skills. Methods: This is a quality improvement project with a one group, pretest and posttest design. The TeamSTEPPS® intervention was presented to the healthcare team. Participants’ teamwork attitudes and perceptions were measured pre, post and 30-days post-intervention using the TeamSTEPPS® Attitude (T-TAQ) and Perception (T-TPQ) Questionnaires. Documented near misses were collected pre-and post-intervention. Two process questions were utilized to examine the team’s use of new communication skills. Results:A total of 25 pre-intervention and post-intervention surveys were collected. A repeated measures ANOVA compared data at three time points. A post-hoc pairwise comparison determined effect size. A moderate effect size was achieved for all TeamSTEPPS® constructs measured. Most notably, the T-TPQ revealed improvements at timepoint comparisons of M1- M3 for team perceptions of Situation Monitoring (F(2, 48)=36.97, P\u3c.001, hR2=.606), Mutual Support (F(2, 48)=34.54, P\u3c.001, hR2=.590), and Communication (F(2, 48)=24.81, P\u3c.001, hR2=.508). Conclusions: The TeamSTEPPS® training intervention improved the attitudes and perceptions of teamwork post-intervention and was sustained at 30-days. Providing teamwork training to interdisciplinary healthcare teams may decrease risks associated with adverse patient events