The purpose of this report is to present a comprehensive review of the activities undertaken to develop and implement the Improving Teamwork and Communication in Surgical Teams Proof of Concept project, and to provide the associated recommendations to expand the projects deployment to a national level. The report highlights key findings and processes undertaken throughout the Proof of Concept, and also includes key recommendations that will guide the whole of sector deployment, and a pragmatic roadmap for delivery.
This report has been written and approved by the project’s working group and approved by the three sites involved in the proof of concept project.
The Improving Teamwork and Safety in Surgical Teams project was initiated by the Health Quality and Safety Commission (the Commission) in late 2013, as part of its wider Reducing Perioperative Harm Programme. The project was established in order to understand if the usage of the clinical and behavioural interventions would improve the perceived culture of communication and teamwork within surgical teams. The Improving Teamwork and Communication in Surgical Teams project was designed as a Proof of Concept (PoC), and was given the mandate to design and test the validity of programme specific clinical interventions, behavioural interventions, a measurement approach (and related technology solution), education approach and deployment approach, and assess their impact on the culture of teamwork and communication in a selection of surgical teams.