Improved safety culture and teamwork climate are associated with decreases in patient harm and hospital mortality across a hospital system

Source:  Journal of Patient Safety

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Date of publication: January 2016

Publication type:  Journal article

In a nutshell:  Improved safety and teamwork culture has been associated with decreased patient harm within specific units in hospitals or hospital groups. Most studies have focused on a specific harm type. This study’s objective was to document such an association across an entire hospital system and across multiple harm types.

Length of publication:  Unspecified

Some important notes:  Please contact your local NHS Library for the full text of the article. Follow this link to find your local NHS Library

Quality management and perceptions of teamwork and safety climate in European hospitals

Source: International Journal for Quality in Healthcare [Epub ahead of print]

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Date of publication: October 2015

Publication type:  Journal article

In a nutshell: This study aimed to investigate the associations of quality management systems with teamwork and safety climate, and to describe and compare differences in perceptions of teamwork climate and safety climate among clinical leaders and frontline clinicians.

Length of Publication:   Unspecified

Some important notes:  Please contact your local NHS Library for the full text of the article. Follow this link to find your local NHS Library

Quality improvement in surgery combining lean improvement methods with teamwork training: a controlled before-after study

Source:  PLOS ONE 10/9 e0138490

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Date of publication: September 2015

Publication type:  Journal article

In a nutshell:  This study investigated the effectiveness of combining teamwork training and lean process improvement, two distinct approaches to improving surgical safety. A controlled interrupted time series study was conducted in a specialist UK Orthopaedic hospital incorporating a plastic surgery team (which received the intervention) and an Orthopaedic theatre team acting as a control. The study found that combining teamwork training and systems improvement enhanced both technical and non-technical operating team process measures, and were associated with a trend to better safety outcome measures in a controlled study comparison. The authors suggest that approaches which address both system and culture dimensions of safety may prove valuable in reducing risks to patients.

Length of Publication:  1 web page

Effective communication and teamwork promotes patient safety

Source:  Nursing Standard 29/49 pp. 50-57

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Date of publication:  August 2015

Publication type:  Journal article

In a nutshell:  This article introduces behaviours that support communication, co-operation and co-ordination in teams. It explores the central role of communication in enabling co-operation and co-ordination. A human factors perspective is used to examine tools to improve communication and identify barriers to effective team communication in health care.

Length of Publication:  8 pages

Some important notes: Please contact your local NHS Library for the full text of the article. Follow this link to find your local NHS Library

New checklist makes the cardiac catheterisation lab a safer place for patients

Source:  The Health Foundation

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Date of publication:  June 2014

Publication type:  News item

In a nutshell: A Shine-funded project at Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust set out to develop a safety checklist for the cardiac catheterisation laboratory (CCL) in 2013. The World Health Organisation (WHO) safe surgery checklist was used to create the checklist, but it was specifically modified for use in the CCL. Staff liked using the checklist and said they would like one used if they ever needed an intervention themselves. The team achieved 95% implementation of all stages of the checklist. The checklist created a collaborative atmosphere where team members better understood their roles and had more opportunities to raise concerns. Almost 60% of patients noticed staff implementing the checklist and felt safer knowing that it was being used. The team is exploring the possibility of implementing a checklist in emergency scenarios. The British Cardiovascular Society has encouraged national dialogue by publishing new guidance about the use of safety procedure checklists in the CCL.

Length of Publication:  1 web page

Do safety checklists improve teamwork and communication in the operating room? A systematic review

Source:  Annals of Surgery vol/iss 258/6 pp. 856–871

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Date of publication:  December 2013

Publication type:  Journal article

In a nutshell:  This systematic review aimed to assess the impact of surgical safety checklists on the quality of teamwork and communication in the operating room (OR). The methods for assessing teamwork and communication included surveys, observations, interviews, and 360° assessments. The evidence suggests that safety checklists can improve the quality of OR teamwork and communication, however, when used incorrectly or when individuals do not believe in the process, checklists may have a negative impact on the function of the team. Overall, safety checklists are beneficial for OR teamwork and communication and this may be one device through which patient outcomes are improved.

Length of Publication:  16 pages

Some important notes:  Please contact your local NHS Library for the full text of the article. Follow this link to find your local NHS Library.

Multiprofessional Team Simulation Training, Based on an Obstetric Model, Can Improve Teamwork in Other Areas of Health Care

Source:  American Journal of Medical Quality 2013 May 7. [Epub ahead of print]

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Date of publication:   May 2013

Publication type:  Journal article

In a nutshell:  Multi-professional scenario-based training was run in England to improve the safety culture and teamwork climate of three surgical wards at one hospital. Over a four-month period, 22 team training sessions were run, each comprising teams of four or five medical and nursing staff. Safety culture was measured before and after training using a validated tool. Scenario-based training was associated with an improvement in safety culture on the wards and a trend towards improved teamwork climate. However staff were less likely to think that staffing levels were adequate or have favourable perceptions of hospital management. This may be because the scenarios highlighted flaws in current practice.

Length of Publication:  Unknown

Some important notes:  Please contact your local NHS Library for the full text of the article. Follow this link to find your local NHS Library.

Human factors in clinical handover: development and testing of a ‘handover performance tool’ for doctors’ shift handovers.

Source: Int J Qual Health Care  [Epub ahead of print]

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Date of publication:  December 2012

Publication type: Journal article

In a nutshell: This observational study tested a tool to help clinicians assess the quality and safety of shift handovers. The emphasis was on non-technical skills such as communication, teamwork, leadership, situation awareness and task management. Doctors at one hospital in England helped validate the tool, and handovers were videoed for analysis by human factors experts. Good communication was most likely to be associated with high quality ratings of handovers, followed by teamwork and situation awareness.

Some important notes: Please contact your local NHS Library for the full text of the article. Follow this link to find your local NHS Library.

How to guide to the five steps to safer surgery

Source: National Reporting and Learning Service

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Date of publication: December 2010

Publication type: Guidance

In a nutshell: This guide is to be used in the surgery setting by staff involved in the implementation of the Surgical Safety Checklist.  The aim is to build on non-technical skills and existing learning, to improve patient outcomes and healthcare efficienty

Length of publication: 38 pages

Acknowledgement: National Patient Safety Agency