Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 20, 2026
Setting Up a Stroke Team Algorithm and Conducting Simulation-based Training in the Emergency Department - A Practical Guide
Published on: January 15, 2017
Improved climate, culture, and communication through multidisciplinary training and instruction
Kristin A Kirschbaum1, John P Rask, Matthew Brennan
1School of Communication, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA. kirschbaumk@ecu.edu
Objective:
The objective of the study was to determine the effectiveness of multidisciplinary team training on organizational culture and team communication.
Study Design:
The training included a 6-step protocol: (1) a pretest survey assessing cultural attitudes and perceptions, (2) a baseline high-fidelity simulation session, (3) invitational medical rhetoric instruction, (4) a second high-fidelity simulation session, (5) a posttest survey assessing changed cultural attitudes and perceptions, and (6) a debriefing with participants. Teams of 4 physicians trained together: 2 obstetricians and 2 anesthesiologists. Forty-four physicians completed the training protocol during 2010 and 2011.
Results:
Paired-sample t tests demonstrated significant decreases in autonomous cultural attitudes and perceptions (t = 8.23, P < .001) and significant increases in teamwork cultural attitudes and perceptions (t = -4.05, P < .001). Paired-sample t tests also demonstrated significant increases in communication climate that invited participation and integrated information from both medical services (t = -5.80, P < .001).
Conclusion:
The multidisciplinary team training program specified in this report resulted in increased teamwork among obstetricians and anesthesiologists.
Related Concept Videos
01:23The Role of Culture
01:30Community Based Intervention
Foundations of Community Mental Health Programs
Central to the success of community-based interventions is the...
01:18Interdisciplinary Care: The Health Care Team-II
Physical Therapist
A physical therapist (PT) aims to restore function or prevent additional impairment in a patient following an injury or disease. Massage, heat, cold, water, sonar waves, exercises, and electrical stimulation are some treatments used by PTs to treat...
01:27Levels of Communication II: Organizational, Public, and Group Dynamics
01:21Interdisciplinary Care: The Health Care Team-I
Physicians
The physician's primary responsibility is to diagnose illness and direct the medical or surgical treatment of the condition. The authority to admit patients to a healthcare agency or institution and practice care within that setting is granted to physicians by the healthcare agency or institution itself.
01:21Barriers to Effective Communication II
Cultural barriers:
Differences in values, beliefs, religion, knowledge, and tradition can significantly impact communication. Awareness of nonverbal cues is critical, especially when conversing with a patient from a different culture. What appears appropriate in one culture may be inappropriate in another.
Semantic barriers:
As a result of their tendency to use...