Abstract
BackgroundInterprofessional teamwork is considered to be a key component of patient-centred treatment in healthcare, and especially in the rehabilitation sector. To date, however, no interventions exist for improving teamwork in rehabilitation clinics in Germany. A team training programme was therefore designed that is individualised in content but standardised regarding methods and process. It is clinic specific, task related, solution focused and context oriented. The aim of the study was to implement and evaluate this training for interprofessional teams in rehabilitation clinics in Germany.MethodsThe measure consists of a training of a varying number of sessions with rehabilitation teams that consists of four distinct phases. Those are undergone chronologically, each with clinic-specific contents. It was implemented between 2013 and 2014 in five rehabilitation clinics in Germany and evaluated by the participants via questionnaire (n = 52).ResultsStaff in three clinics evaluated the programme as helpful, in particular rating moderation, discussions and communication during the training positively. Staff in the remaining two clinics rated it as not very or not helpful and mentioned long-term structural problems or a lack of need for team training as a reason for this.ConclusionsThe team training is applicable and accepted by staff. It should, however, be tested in a greater sample and compared with a control group. Processes should be studied in more detail in order to determine what differentiates successful from non-successful interventions and the different requirements each of these might have.
Highlights
Interprofessional teamwork is regarded as a core component of patient-centred treatment in the rehabilitation sector [1,2,3,4], with studies validating its beneficial effect on organisational, staff- and patient-related outcome criteria
Study design The team training was implemented in five clinics in a cross-sectional study, and a process evaluation was carried out 4 weeks after the last session
The training to improve interprofessional teamwork was tested in five rehabilitation clinics in south-west Germany in order to identify changes that had been initiated through the training
Summary
Interprofessional teamwork is regarded as a core component of patient-centred treatment in the rehabilitation sector [1,2,3,4], with studies validating its beneficial effect on organisational, staff- and patient-related outcome criteria. Education in the health professions should address the topic of teamwork [23,24,25], e.g. via team training programmes which aim to improve interprofessional teamwork [26] in order to address outputs such as team performance and patient outcomes [25]. Such teamrelated measures foster knowledge, abilities and attitudes of staff, and aim to boost interpersonal as well as task-related aspects in both existing and newlyformed teams. Positive evaluations of staff- and patient related outcomes have been found for all of these [32]: complex models that combine intervention strategies, such as workshops and tools, have for example led to reductions in length of stay [33, 34], better utilisation of capacities [34], better patient recruitment and reduced costs [28]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
