Reducing healthcare conflict: outcomes from using the conflict management framework

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Patient Safety
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Healthcare professionals frequently encounter conflicts with patients and families.
• Effective conflict management is crucial for maintaining a positive healthcare environment and staff well-being.
• Existing strategies may not adequately address the complexities of conflict in pediatric settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a novel two-stage Conflict Management Framework (CMF) designed to assist healthcare staff in identifying and de-escalating conflicts.
• To assess the impact of the CMF on the frequency and severity of staff-patient/family conflicts.
• To examine the effects of the CMF on staff quality of life, including burnout, compassion, and secondary traumatic stress.

Main Methods:

• A before-and-after study was conducted in a pediatric oncology department.
• The two-stage CMF was implemented during daily staff handovers to manage conflict cases.
• Data collection included quantitative measures of conflict, staff quality of life, and qualitative interviews.

Main Results:

• The implementation of the CMF led to a 64% decrease in reported conflicts from baseline to follow-up.
• Staff reported that the CMF was helpful in identifying and de-escalating conflicts, with improved communication.
• A significant reduction in staff burnout was observed (p=0.001), while scores for compassion and secondary traumatic stress remained unchanged.

Conclusions:

• The Conflict Management Framework (CMF) effectively reduces conflict incidence and is well-accepted by healthcare staff.
• Successful integration of the CMF into clinical practice requires comprehensive implementation and senior medical support.
• Further refinements and testing of the CMF are planned in multiple UK sites.