Embracing the New Transformation Through Team Approach

Increasing focus on improving outcomes at lower costs is contributing to a more complex inpatient environment. Sicker patients, quicker pace, and expanding treatment options necessitate highly effective teams. These factors can also create inherent challenges to team performance given the complexity of teams, dispersion of patients, necessity for effective communication, and paucity of team training. Measuring the quality and efficacy of teamwork can be challenging as well. In this chapter we will propose several methods to optimize teamwork in today’s hospital. Ideally, recognizing barriers to teamwork and using a combination of approaches to facilitate these complex interactions will lead to improved patient outcomes.