OBJECTIVES This study aimed to collect and analyse examples of poor teamwork between junior doctors and nurses; identify the teamwork failures contributing to poor team function; and ascertain if particular teamwork failures are associated with higher levels of risk to patients. DESIGN Critical Incident Technique interviews were carried out with junior doctors and nurses. SETTING Two teachi...

A business teamwork discussion is one of necessary actions in current business circumstances. However, many discussions are ineffective; consequently, time, costs and resources are wasted. The objective of this study is to identify factors that can enhance the effectiveness of a teamwork discussion, through the focus group method. Six focus groups of participants from different types of busines...

OBJECTIVE To develop a behavioural observation method to simultaneously assess distractors and communication/teamwork during surgical procedures through direct, on-site observations; to establish the reliability of the method for long (>3 h) procedures. METHODS Observational categories for an event-based coding system were developed based on expert interviews, observations and a literature re...

Teamwork is important in the operating room. Team members rely on each other’s expertise for successful task completion. Because of lunch and change of shift breaks, handoffs occur frequently, but little is known about their effect on team performance, or the team’s awareness of these changes. We performed a 360 degree evaluation of the effect of operating room handoffs on teamwork, stress, and...

Developments in surgical technology and procedure have accelerated and altered the work carried out in the operating theatre/room, but team modelling and training have not co-evolved. Evidence suggests that team structure and role allocation are sometimes unclear and contentious, and coordination and communication are not fully effective. To improve teamwork, clinicians need models that specify...