Evaluating an interprofessional team coaching program to promote a human-centered ICU environment.

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Education
• Interprofessional Collaboration
• Patient-Centered Care

Background:

• Intensive care unit (ICU) environments can be dehumanizing.
• Existing educational efforts primarily focus on patient/family-centered care, neglecting team well-being.
• There is a need to humanize the ICU environment for all stakeholders.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate an interprofessional educational program using team coaching to humanize the ICU.
• To assess the program's impact on participants' perceived capability to promote a human-centered team environment.

Main Methods:

• A 3-year mixed-methods evaluation of an interprofessional ICU team coaching program.
• Program involved 3 sessions led by a certified coach, focusing on roles, end-of-life care, and dignity/respect.
• Data collected via pre/post surveys and qualitative analysis of reflections and debriefings.

Main Results:

• 43 ICU team members from 7 professions participated; 70% attendance rate.
• Post-coaching, unmet needs for promoting human-centered environments decreased significantly for patients (p<0.01), families (p<0.01), and team members (p<0.01).
• Interprofessional Consultation and Relational Empathy (CARE) scores improved (p=0.047), with qualitative data showing commitment to relationship growth.

Conclusions:

• Confirms an unmet need for training in humanizing ICU environments.
• Interprofessional team coaching is a promising strategy to improve human-centered care within ICUs.
• Suggests potential for program expansion to further enhance ICU care delivery.