Teamwork: crew resource management in a community hospital

Effective communication and teamwork among the healthcare team has a profound impact on patient care; in the Delivery Room it means the best possible outcome for moms and babies. With that goal in mind, our obstetrics team, partnered with Harvard Risk Management Strategies Foundation Team Performance Plus (TPP), implemented an initiative in May 2006. The primary goal of the initiative was to improve patient care through improved communication between disciplines, situation monitoring throughout the continuum of care, mutual support and respect among care givers, and effective team leadership. Through education and implementation of specific communication tools and behaviors, we realized better patient outcomes as well as improved patient and staff satisfaction.