Strategic Clinical Network Teams Improve Effectiveness, Team and Leadership Processes and Inputs: Theory-Based...

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Organizational Psychology
• Team Science

Background:

• Strategic Clinical Networks (SCNs) are multidisciplinary teams in Alberta focused on health system innovation.
• Understanding the drivers of team effectiveness within SCNs is crucial for optimizing healthcare improvements.
• Previous research has not clearly defined the factors contributing to SCN team effectiveness over time.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of Strategic Clinical Network (SCN) teams in Alberta.
• To identify predictors of team effectiveness within SCNs using a longitudinal approach.
• To examine how team effectiveness and its predictors evolve over a two-year period.

Main Methods:

• A theory-informed longitudinal survey was conducted with 826 participants from SCN teams.
• Data were collected over two years to track changes in team effectiveness and related factors.
• Statistical analyses were used to identify predictors of attitudinal and performance outcomes.

Main Results:

• Team satisfaction, inter-team relationships, team inputs, and leadership processes significantly improved over two years.
• Attitudinal outputs were consistently predicted by the same factors throughout the study period.
• Performance outputs were predicted by a different set of factors compared to attitudinal outputs, indicating distinct developmental pathways.

Conclusions:

• SCN teams and their effectiveness are dynamic and evolve over time.
• Team inputs and leadership processes are key drivers for both attitudinal and performance outcomes in SCNs.
• Team-based research provides valuable insights for refining network evaluations and improving healthcare delivery.