15 Jul Hospital Wide Crew Resource Management Training Improves Communication and Teamwork
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Dr. Moffatt-Bruce
Dr. Susan Moffatt-Bruce, MD PhD
Cardiothoracic surgeon
Associate professor of surgery and assistant professor of molecular virology, immunology and medical genetics
The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
Columbus, OH
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: Crew Resource Management (CRM), a training for all health care providers, including doctors, nurses, staff and students, focusing on team communication, leadership, and decision-making practices, was implemented throughout a large academic health system – across eight departments spanning three hospitals and two campuses. All those in the health system, inclusive of those that took the training, took a survey measuring perceptions of workplace patient safety culture both before CRM implementation and about 2 years after. Safety culture was significantly improved after Crew Resource Management training, with the strongest effects in participant perception of teamwork and communication. This study was the first health-system wide CRM implementation reported in the literature.
MedicalResearch.com: What should readers take away from your report?
Response: Cultural transformation is possible, even in large, multi-hospital academic medical centers. To be ultimately successful with a large-scale program of patient safety culture transformation, continual leadership engagement and endorsement is needed.
MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?
Response: This study was the first health-system wide CRM implementation reported in the literature. Future implementations of large-scale cultural change initiatives need to commit to systematic study of the effectiveness of the intervention to not only calculate the potential return on investment, but also to continuously feedback potential improvement opportunities to the front line teams who are invested in providing the best care possible for patients in every environment.
MedicalResearch.com: Is there anything else you would like to add?
Response: Leadership and engagement of front line staff is key to success. Measurement and the ability to get the message back to key stakeholders takes time but pays dividends.
MedicalResearch.com: Thank you for your contribution to the MedicalResearch.com community.
Citation:
Jennifer L. Hefner, Brian Hilligoss, Amy Knupp, Judy Bournique, John Sullivan, Eric Adkins, and Susan D. Moffatt-Bruce. Cultural Transformation After Implementation of Crew Resource Management: Is It Really Possible? American Journal of Medical Quality, July 2016 DOI: 10.1177/1062860616655424
Note: Content is Not intended as medical advice. Please consult your health care provider regarding your specific medical condition and questions.
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Last Updated on July 16, 2016 by Marie Benz MD FAAD