Drivers of Hematology and Oncology Care Team Staff Satisfaction

This study explores drivers of satisfaction in modern care teams in which clinical and support staff are fragmented between work locations and communication methods with a large workload of digital messages. It explores the association of team culture, communication, perceived staffing, and work location on team satisfaction in an outpatient hematology and oncology practice at a large academic medical center. Clinic observation sessions and interviews with clinicians were conducted to identify potential drivers of staff satisfaction. Subsequently, a 21-question survey was developed to assess drivers correlated with care team staff satisfaction. The anonymous survey was sent to clinical and non-clinical staff. A total of 586 staff received the survey, and 278 (47%) completed the survey. Team culture/collaboration, ability to get information, and sufficient staffing were associated with high team satisfaction. Team culture/collaboration was most correlated with an individual's team satisfaction. Clinicians who spent time in a shared team workspace had 21 percentage points higher overall satisfaction. Clinicians preferred in-person communication while support staff preferred asynchronous messaging. This study highlights the importance of building team culture for strong staff satisfaction. Practices should consider colocation of clinical teams within a shared workroom space to improve satisfaction. Colocation may be a way to support positive team culture.