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Effectiveness of team training on fall prevention.
LeeAnna Spiva1, Bethany Robertson, Marcia L Delk
1Center for Nursing Excellence (Dr Spiva and Mss Patrick and Gallagher) and Organizational Learning (Dr Robertson), WellStar Health System, Atlanta, Georgia; Administration Office (Dr Delk) and Kennestone Hospital (Ms Kimrey), WellStar Health System, Marietta, Georgia; and Douglas Hospital, Douglasville, Georgia (Ms Green).
Team training using Team Strategies and Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety (TeamSTEPPS) significantly reduced patient falls by 60%. Communication improved, though teamwork perception did not change.
Area of Science:
- Healthcare quality improvement
- Patient safety research
- Medical education and training
Background:
- Falls are a significant patient safety concern in healthcare settings.
- Effective communication and teamwork are crucial for preventing patient falls.
- Existing fall prevention strategies may benefit from enhanced team training.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of a TeamSTEPPS-based training curriculum on fall prevention.
- To assess changes in communication, teamwork, and fall rates following the intervention.
- To determine the effectiveness of team training in reducing patient falls.
Main Methods:
- A longitudinal, repeated-measures design with intervention and comparison groups.
- Utilized TeamSTEPPS training with video vignettes focused on fall prevention.
- Collected data via questionnaires, behavioral observations, and fall incident reports over 9 months.
Main Results:
- The intervention group showed improved questionnaire scores in most areas, excluding teamwork perception.
- Behavioral observations indicated enhanced communication in the intervention group compared to the control.
- A notable 60% reduction in patient falls was observed in the intervention group.
Conclusions:
- Team training, specifically using TeamSTEPPS, shows promise as an effective intervention for reducing patient falls.
- Improvements in communication are a key outcome of such training programs.
- Further research into optimizing team training for enhanced teamwork perception and fall prevention is warranted.
