Interprofessional Team Conflict Resolution: A Critical Literature Review

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Organizational Behavior
• Conflict Resolution Studies

Background:

• Existing research on healthcare team conflict often focuses on individual styles or managerial interventions.
• Limited attention has been given to conceptual frameworks for understanding and resolving interprofessional team conflict.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify key components of conflict relevant to interprofessional healthcare teams.
• To synthesize conceptual findings for understanding and resolving team conflict.

Main Methods:

• A critical review of conflict literature across various disciplines was conducted.
• The review employed a systematic approach including literature search, appraisal, synthesis, and analysis.

Main Results:

• Conflict in teams manifests as relationship, task, and process issues.
• Existing models often focus on interpersonal or workplace conflicts, with less emphasis on team application.

Conclusions:

• Training in conflict resolution, particularly using constructive controversy, improves cooperative patient care planning.
• Enhanced conflict resolution skills are crucial for effective interprofessional, client-centered collaborative practice.