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PURPOSE: To assess whether our introductory TeamSAFE (Team Simulation and Fearlessness in Education) program improved student knowledge of effective teamwork skills; impacted their perception of their own teamwork skills and preparedness for teamwork in clinical practice; and augmented their understanding of the roles and responsibilities of different healthcare team members. METHODS: Students completed an online learning module, then attended a simulation-based workshop to practice patient safety and teamwork skills. A pre-post-test design was used to assess knowledge of TeamSTEPPS® concepts and perception of teamwork skills among 959 students from 7 health professions. We conducted a qualitative analysis of student responses to open-ended questions about their perceptions of teamwork skills. RESULTS: Qualitative analysis revealed three themes: 1) put patients first; 2) recognize that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts; and 3) embrace the unknown. Quantitative analysis suggested that students gained knowledge from the workshop. Item analysis using item response theory showed that items have difficulty and discrimination in the lower range. CONCLUSION: Findings suggest that the workshop was effective in improving knowledge of teamwork skills, improving student self-perception of teamwork skills and practice readiness, increasing understanding of the roles and responsibilities of students from different health professions, and understanding the importance of patient safety. J Allied Health 2021; 50(3):175-181.
MEDICAL ERRORS are known to be a leading cause of death in the United States, with communication and teamwork failures thought to be a contributing factor in many medical errors.(1-4) The 2003 Institute of Medicine (IOM) report "Health Professions Education: A Bridge to Quality" recommended team training while in school to develop students and clinicians who are prepared to be members of high-functioning teams and, thus, to reduce errors in healthcare delivery.(5)
Several team training programs have been based on Team Strategies and Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety (TeamSTEPPS®), an evidence-based toolkit developed by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to enhance healthcare teamwork and communication.(6) One program, involving large-scale interprofessional team training with classroom work, video review, and teamwork with debriefing, demonstrated improved knowledge of and attitudes towards teamwork and communication skills.(7) In a TeamSTEPPS® implementation plan for new interns and nurses (n=23), TeamSTEPPS® knowledge improved from pre- to post-intervention.(8) A review of 19 studies related to TeamSTEPPS®...