Learning Objectives Work in cooperation with those who receive care, those who provide care, and others who contribute to or support the delivery of prevention and health services to forge interdependent relationships to improve care and advance learning Contribute to a positive working atmosphere Identify potential barriers to a smooth transition of patients across screening, diagnosis, active treatment, survivorship and/or end-of-life care, working with the patient’s clinical team Describe how culture, background, religious beliefs and attitudes impact patient care and the working environment Solve conflicts and enable a constructive negotiation in a healthcare team
Health Care Professionals
Teamwork Teams are two or more people working together (collaborating) to accomplish a common goal. Source: Clements, n.d .
Types of Teams Interprofessional Teams Multidisciplinary Teams Source: Mitchell et al., 2010 .
Characteristics of Effective Teams
What Prevents Interprofessional Teamwork in Health Care? Source: Mitchell et al., 2010.
Impact of Dysfunctional Teams Source: Mitchell et al., 2010; Lee et al., 2010.
Collaborative Work Environment Diverse teams that share knowledge High quality health care Increase in job satisfaction Decrease in staff turnover Reduction of health care costs Source: Mitchell et al., 2010; Lee et al., 2010. Patient-focused Offers effective clinical care Improved patient-outcomes
Collaborative Work Environment Helps establish relationship Encourages patients to use other members of the health care team Helps health care colleagues by providing resources and informing them about the patient’s specific needs and preferences for care
Barriers to Team Collaboration It takes time Perceived loss of autonomy Lack of trust Clashing perceptions/approaches Territorialism Lack of awareness Source: O’Daniel et al., 2008.
Barriers to Team Transition Transition between patient navigators Medical insurance issues Patient’s lack of understanding of next steps: Diagnosis Survivorship End-of-Life
Supporting a Smooth Care Transition Barriers Solutions Confusion about who continues with care Identify who gets the handoff Team members may be misinformed about next steps Ensure that everyone knows about the transition Patient may feel that the support system is shrinking Continue to advocate for the patient
Components of Successful Teamwork Non-punitive environment Clear direction Clear and know roles and tasks Respectful atmosphere Shared responsibility Acknowledgement and processing of conflict Clear specifications regarding authority and accountability Clear and known decision-making procedures Source: O’Daniel et al., 2008.
Diversity on Health Care Teams Better working environments Better problem solving Bridge the gap between clinical and cultural knowledge Informed about patient environment Learning about differences can mitigate conflicts from cultural differences Source: Dreachslin et al, 2000; Roth et al., 2012; Shaw-Taylor et al., 1998 .
Barriers to Effective Communication O’Daniel et al., 2008. Personal values and expectations Differences in schedules and professional routines Personality differences Varying levels of preparation, qualifications and status Hierarchy Differences in requirements, regulations and norms of professional education Disruptive behavior Fears of diluted professional identity Culture and ethnicity Differences in accountability, payment and rewards Generational differences Concerns regarding clinical responsibility Gender Complexity of care Historical interprofessional and intraprofessional rivalries Emphasis on rapid decision-making Differences in language and jargon
Solutions for Effective Communication Foster a culture of common purpose, intent, trust, respect and collaboration Start with common goal = high quality patient care Be self-aware of personal biases and beliefs Source: O’Daniel et al., 2008.
Understanding Conflict To understand conflict you must have: At least 2 parties Parties must be interdependent (need each other) Perceived incompatible goals Perceived scare resources Perceived interference
Examples of Conflict in the Workplace
Resolving Conflict Work at talking about the issues Recognize the value of the conflict Recognize conflict is a spiral and you can change the direction of the spiral Emphasize common goals Check perceptions Use competent communication techniques Agree to disagree and Attack the problem, not the person
Methods for Solving Conflict
SBAR Method Source: O’Daniel et al., 2008.
Walk in the Woods Source: Marcus, 2002; Marcus et al., 2012.
Step One: Self Interest Define the problem Who has a stake in the problem or who has a say and who will be impacted by the outcome? Source: Marcus, 2002; Marcus et al., 2012.
Step Two: Enlarged Interests Identify What everyone agrees on to reframe the problem What everyone agrees on Source: Marcus, 2002; Marcus et al., 2012.
Step Three: Enlightened Interests All parties freely brainstorm new and creative ideas to solve the problem. Rank solutions as follows: Unanimous agreement Ambiguity Clear disagreement Marcus, 2002; Marcus et al., 2012.
Step Four: Aligned Interests Parties share what they “must, want and would like to receive,” and what they are “eager, willing and unwilling to give” in the deal Discuss what they will and will not commit to, how they will meet their objectives and what are the implications for the proposed deal Agreement should be written down Each party should gain something out of the deal Source: Marcus, 2002; Marcus et al., 2012.
Success “If I succeed, you succeed; and if you succeed, I succeed. Therefore, let’s work toward achieving mutual success.” Source: Marcus, 2002; Marcus et al., 2012.
Conclusion In this lesson you learned to: Work in cooperation with those who receive care, those who provide care, and others who contribute to or support the delivery of prevention and health services to forge interdependent relationships to improve care and advance learning Contribute to a positive working atmosphere Identify potential barriers to a smooth transition of patients across screening, diagnosis, active treatment, survivorship and/or end-of-life care, working with the patient’s clinical team Describe how culture, background, religious beliefs and attitudes impact patient care and the working environment Solve conflicts and enable a constructive negotiation in a healthcare team