Better Decision-Making: Shared Mental Models and the Clinical Competency Committee

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Team Dynamics
• Organizational Psychology

Background:

• Shared mental models (SMMs) are crucial for effective group decision-making.
• Clinical competency committees (CCCs) can enhance decision quality and consistency through SMMs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the application of SMMs in decision-making within graduate medical education.
• Specifically examine the role and implementation of SMMs in CCCs.

Main Methods:

• Conducted a narrative literature review in May 2020.
• Included literature on SMMs, team functioning, CCCs, and graduate medical education.

Main Results:

• Identified general uses of SMMs, their application in graduate medical education, and strategies for CCC implementation.
• Clear communication, guidelines, and shared goals optimize CCC decision-making.
• SMMs are applicable to Milestones, resident performance, assessment, and feedback.

Conclusions:

• CCCs must cultivate and sustain SMMs for fair and robust decision-making.
• Excellent communication and shared expectations among members are vital for SMM development.