Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Illusions of team working in health care
AU - West, Michael
AU - Lyubovnikova, Joanne
PY - 2013
Y1 - 2013
N2 - Purpose – The ubiquity and value of teams in healthcare are well acknowledged. However, in practice, healthcare teams vary dramatically in their structures and effectiveness in ways that can damage team processes and patient outcomes. The aim of this paper is to highlight these characteristics and to extrapolate several important aspects of teamwork that have a powerful impact on team effectiveness across healthcare contexts. Design/methodology/approach – The paper draws upon the literature from health services management and organisational behaviour to provide an overview of the current science of healthcare teams. Findings – Underpinned by the input-process-output framework of team effectiveness, team composition, team task, and organisational support are viewed as critical inputs that influence key team processes including team objectives, leadership and reflexivity, which in turn impact staff and patient outcomes. Team training interventions and care pathways can facilitate more effective interdisciplinary teamwork. Originality/value – The paper argues that the prevalence of the term “team” in healthcare makes the synthesis and advancement of the scientific understanding of healthcare teams a challenge. Future research therefore needs to better define the fundamental characteristics of teams in studies in order to ensure that findings based on real teams, rather than pseudo-like groups, are accumulated.
AB - Purpose – The ubiquity and value of teams in healthcare are well acknowledged. However, in practice, healthcare teams vary dramatically in their structures and effectiveness in ways that can damage team processes and patient outcomes. The aim of this paper is to highlight these characteristics and to extrapolate several important aspects of teamwork that have a powerful impact on team effectiveness across healthcare contexts. Design/methodology/approach – The paper draws upon the literature from health services management and organisational behaviour to provide an overview of the current science of healthcare teams. Findings – Underpinned by the input-process-output framework of team effectiveness, team composition, team task, and organisational support are viewed as critical inputs that influence key team processes including team objectives, leadership and reflexivity, which in turn impact staff and patient outcomes. Team training interventions and care pathways can facilitate more effective interdisciplinary teamwork. Originality/value – The paper argues that the prevalence of the term “team” in healthcare makes the synthesis and advancement of the scientific understanding of healthcare teams a challenge. Future research therefore needs to better define the fundamental characteristics of teams in studies in order to ensure that findings based on real teams, rather than pseudo-like groups, are accumulated.
KW - Collaboration
KW - Errors
KW - Health care
KW - Patient safety
KW - Team effectiveness
KW - Team processes
KW - Team working
KW - Teams
KW - Teamwork
U2 - 10.1108/14777261311311843
DO - 10.1108/14777261311311843
M3 - Journal article
VL - 27
SP - 134
EP - 142
JO - Journal of Health Organization and Management
JF - Journal of Health Organization and Management
IS - 1
ER -