Keywords: interdisciplinary; communication; crisis management

Background: Communication failures are known contributors to patient harm1.  In a study of 910 malpractice claims, 43% involved a communication breakdown contributing to injury – most often between surgery and anesthesiology, but often involving other perioperative team members1.  Such preventable harms highlight the importance of effective teamwork and communication across medical disciplines.  Research suggests that simulation provides learners with skills to improve their communication in real-world scenarios, with the desired outcome being reduced patient harm2.

Objective: In this project, resident physicians from anesthesia and general surgery, and perioperative nurses, took part in two interdisciplinary simulations. We predict that after structured debriefing and training, and deliberate practice through simulation, team performance and communication in the care of critically ill patients will be improved as measured by post-simulation surveys.

Methods: Learners provided written consent to participation in survey completion at the time of simulation and one month following. After the first simulation, learners completed a survey evaluating teamwork and communication exhibited during the scenario. Survey questions are derived from the Mayo High Performance Teamwork Scale, a validated tool for assessing crisis resource management in medical simulations3. Learners participated in a structured debrief with TeamSTEPPS-trained faculty that highlighted crisis management, communication strategies, and teamwork approaches, followed by a second simulation and an identical survey.  The pre- and post-teaching survey scores were compared via paired T-test to assess efficacy of the training. A survey will be sent one-month post-simulation to assess the applicability of the team training to clinical practice.

Results: Survey data were grouped into two categories: “role clarity and leadership” and “team communication and coordination.” Post-debrief, participants demonstrated significant improvements in both domains.

Conclusions:  Simulation-based training with structured debriefing is an effective method to enhance interdisciplinary communication and teamwork. Emphasizing communication strategies in crisis scenarios can strengthen collaborative care and potentially reduce patient harm.

Citations:

[1] Douglas RN, Stephens LS, Posner KL, et al. Communication failures contributing to patient injury in anaesthesia malpractice claims☆. British Journal of Anaesthesia. 2021;127(3):470-478. doi:10.1016/j.bja.2021.05.030

[2] Shi R, Marin-Nevarez P, Hasty B, et al. Operating Room In Situ Interprofessional Simulation for Improving Communication and Teamwork. Journal of Surgical Research. 2021;260:237-244. doi:10.1016/j.jss.2020.11.051

[3] Malec JF, Torsher LC, Dunn WF, et al. The Mayo High Performance Teamwork Scale: Reliability and Validity for Evaluating Key Crew Resource Management Skills: Simulation In Healthcare: The Journal of the Society for Simulation in Healthcare. 2007;2(1):4-10. doi:10.1097/SIH.0b013e31802b68ee