Intergrating simulation into TeamSTEPPS: A tool to promote collaborative practice in a clinic setting

Abstract

<p>Poor communication between professionals has been identified as a major cause of care delay and poor team performance. Simulation-based activities have demonstrated the ability to facilitate collaboration and improve communication among interprofessional teams. TeamSTEPPS training has demonstrated the ability to improve interprofessional communication, and teamwork skills improving quality of care and patient safety. Therefore, the purpose of this project was to investigate how TeamSTEPPS training, which included clinic specific simulations, improved the communication and team behaviors of the clinic&rsquo;s interprofessional personnel. An interprofessional group of identified leaders were designated as champions of the project and trained in TeamSTEPPS. Focus groups with the champions and clinic administration, along with findings from observations by the researchers identified challenges affecting patient care delivery. These challenges were integrated into the case scenarios for the simulation based activities. A pre-post survey of the participants and observation by the researchers in both simulation and at the clinic setting were used to obtain data. Tools included: TeamSTEPPS Teamwork Attitudes Questionnaire, TeamSTEPPS Teamwork Perceptions Questionnaire, and the Collaborative Practice Assessment Tool. This project is a component of a larger research study supported by a Health Resources and Administration (HRSA) grant. The overall goal of the grant is to improve access to quality primary health care for vulnerable individuals through interprofessional collaborative practice. The changes in patient care delivery has resulted in unsolicited positive comments by patients, and actual chronic disease management.</p>