Can staff attitudes to team working in stroke care be improved?

Teamwork is regarded as the cornerstone of rehabilitation. It is recognized that the skills of a multiprofessional team are required to provide the care and interventions necessary to maximize the patient's potential to recover from his/her stroke.

Critical evaluation of team working is lacking in the literature. Indeed, there is no consensus on a precise definition of teamwork or on the best way of implementing it, beyond a general exhortation to members to work to the same therapeutic plan in a cohesive manner. The literature has highlighted many problems in team working, including petty jealousies, ignorance and a perceived loss of autonomy and threat to professional status.

To determine if the use of team co-ordinated approaches to stroke care and rehabilitation would improve staff attitudes to team working.

A pre-post design was adopted using 'The Team Climate Inventory' to explore attitudes to team working before and after introducing the interventions. Local Research Ethics Committee approval was obtained.

Improvements in attitudes towards team working suggest that the introduction of team co-ordinated approaches (integrated care pathways and team notes) did not result in greater team working.

The introduction of an integrated care pathway and team notes is based on an assumption that they would enhance team working.

The results suggest that the introduction of team co-ordinated approaches (team notes and care pathways) do not improve attitudes to team working, teams appear to take a long time to establish cohesion and develop shared values.