Utilizing Telemedicine in the Trauma Intensive Care Unit: Does It Impact Teamwork?

Area of Science:

• Medical technology
• Healthcare innovation
• Clinical teamwork

Background:

• Trauma intensive care units (TICU) rely on effective clinician teamwork for optimal patient care.
• Assessing the impact of emerging technologies on team dynamics is crucial for healthcare advancement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effect of a telemedical robot on clinician teamwork in a TICU setting.
• To analyze changes in team attitudes, behaviors, and cognitions during patient rounds with telemedicine integration.

Main Methods:

• Thirty-two healthcare providers in a TICU participated in a 60-day study.
• Teamwork attitudes and cognitions were assessed via surveys at three time points.
• Patient rounds were recorded during 30-day control and 30-day experimental (telemedicine robot use) periods.

Main Results:

• Telemedicine use significantly increased task-based communication during rounds (p<0.05).
• No significant negative impact was observed on team trust (p=0.16), transactive memory systems (TMS) (p=0.15), or team psychological safety (p=0.12).

Conclusions:

• Telemedicine integration in TICU rounds can enhance specific teamwork competencies, such as communication.
• The adoption of telemedicine tools by rounding teams is feasible without compromising other essential aspects of teamwork.