Teamwork and Leadership in Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest – Do These Non-Technical Skills Require Attention?

Abstract

The science of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is now well established and incorporated into training programs to maximise patient survival. There is an increased understanding that non-technical skills such as teamwork and leadership can play a vital role in improving CPR quality, patient outcomes and clinician occupational health. Despite this, these non-technical skills remain somewhat neglected in the context of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. With reference to the literature this commentary provides a discussion to reinforce the need for a greater focus to this area of practice and build a case for further research and training.