Team communication with patient actors: findings from a multisite simulation study.

Area of Science:

• Healthcare quality improvement
• Medical education and simulation
• Patient safety research

Background:

• Patient satisfaction is a key healthcare outcome.
• Effective communication with clinical staff significantly influences patient experience.
• Simulation offers a method to identify and address issues in patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate staff-patient interaction during simulated emergencies.
• To assess the impact of communication and teamwork on patient perceptions.
• To identify areas for improvement in clinical staff training.

Main Methods:

• 108 maternity professionals in 18 teams participated in a simulated emergency scenario.
• A trained patient-actor assessed staff-patient interactions and provided feedback.
• Clinicians evaluated team performance using teamwork skills and behaviors metrics.

Main Results:

• Significant variability observed in staff-patient communication during emergencies, ranging from no interaction to attempts at engagement.
• Patient-actor perceptions of communication, respect, and safety strongly correlated with team behaviors and communication content.
• Inadequate communication of critical information by most teams negatively impacted patient-actor perception of safety.

Conclusions:

• Staff-patient interaction and teamwork during simulated emergencies were often inadequate.
• There is a clear need for enhanced training for both individual clinicians and teams to improve patient care.
• Improving communication strategies is essential for enhancing patient satisfaction and safety outcomes.