November 15, 2011
“This paper reviews the evidence for effective teamwork, primarily that gathered by a research team funded by the Canadian Health Services Research Foundation (CHSRF). We also review the expert opinion provided by a group of 25 researchers and decision makers convened by CHSRF in late 2005 at a forum for discussion about issues related to effective teamwork. Included in the retreat were representatives from professional organizations and occupations as well as areas such as legal liability.
Taken together, the research and expert opinion provide a comprehensive overview of the benefits of effective teamwork and the conditions needed for its implementation. In addition, we review policy and management perspectives on the most significant challenges to the implementation of effective teamwork in the Canadian context, and potential opportunities to overcome these obstacles.”
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Posted in Journal Articles, READ Portal | Tagged with Canada, Health human resources, Teamwork | No Comments
August 30, 2011
The study found that “collaborative capacity”—the researchers’ term for an organization’s ability to foster teamwork even in the presence of rigid occupational hierarchy and the absence of formal teams—varied by patient care unit. In particular, it varied according to the presence or absence of a clear direction or mandate, a supportive organizational context, and leadership that promotes teamwork. Moreover, an emphasis on patient-centered care—which shifts the focus away from providers to put patients’ needs and preferences first—was associated with collaborative teamwork .
Posted in Journal Articles, READ Portal | Tagged with Health human resources, Patient-centered care, Teamwork | No Comments
June 21, 2011
“A RAND study of teamwork-improvement initiatives in hospital labor and delivery (L&D) units was designed to document and learn from the experiences and outcomes of five L&D units as they implemented improvements in their teamwork practices over a one-year period. The study had two objectives:
- better understand the conditions and actions required for hospital L&D units to achieve effective and sustainable teamwork practices, and
- assess the extent to which successful adoption of teamwork practices may influence the experiences of L&D staff and patient outcomes.
Substantial progress is possible in one year of implementing teamwork practices, which can improve proximal outcomes, such as staff knowledge and perceptions. More than a year of implementation effort is required to achieve a high level of performance on teamwork practices. Two dynamics might be involved in later years of implementation:
- momentum from the first year might continue into later years, such that subsequent implementation might reinforce continued improvement, and
- it might not be possible to sustain high intensity in implementation beyond the first year.
The study results reinforce the importance of developing and implementing a well-crafted strategy by training staff in the L&D units, working consistently with staff to introduce practices, and providing coaching on effective use of practices. The study identified some key factors required by any given strategy for teamwork improvement, but it did not point to a standard template for implementation. This result implies that there may not be one fixed “intervention” that could be tested in comparative-control studies to develop further evidence for teamwork practices.”
Posted in READ Portal, Reports & Papers | Tagged with Health human resources, Quality improvement, Teamwork | No Comments
May 3, 2011
Senior managers can apply practical insights from neuroscience to make themselves—and their teams—more creative. Although creativity is often considered a trait of the privileged few, any individual or team can become more creative—better able to generate the breakthroughs that stimulate growth and performance. In fact, our experience with hundreds of corporate teams, ranging from experienced C-level executives to entry-level customer service reps, suggests that companies can use relatively simple techniques to boost the creative output of employees at any level.
Posted in Journal Articles, READ Portal | Tagged with Health human resources, Quality improvement, Teamwork | No Comments
