Correlation between medical management and teamwork in multidisciplinary high-fidelity obstetrics simulations

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Medical Simulation
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Gaps in teamwork and communication are frequently linked to adverse outcomes in obstetrics.
• The Critical Care in Obstetrics Course utilizes interactive didactics and hands-on simulation to enhance these skills.
• The course's unique environment, with newly formed multidisciplinary teams, allows for evaluating teamwork and communication's impact.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the association between teamwork and medical management within high-fidelity critical care simulations in obstetrics.
• To determine the predictive value of teamwork scores on the quality of medical management.

Main Methods:

• Multidisciplinary teams underwent high-fidelity simulations of various critical obstetrical scenarios.
• Facilitators used validated checklists to assess medical care and teamwork performance on a 1-5 scale.
• Spearman correlation and receiver operating characteristic curves analyzed the relationship between teamwork, communication, and medical management.

Main Results:

• A significant positive correlation was observed between medical management and teamwork/communication scores across all scenarios (ρ=0.84 for total teamwork).
• Teamwork scores strongly predicted medical management quality, with an area under the curve of at least 0.88.
• Correlation was significant for most scenarios, except for diabetic ketoacidosis.

Conclusions:

• High-quality teamwork and communication directly correlate with improved clinical performance in emergent obstetrical situations.
• Emphasizes the critical need for targeted teamwork and communication training for healthcare providers.
• Optimizing these skills is essential for enhancing the management of complex and critical obstetric conditions.