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BACKGROUND: Pediatric depression is a global concern that has fueled efforts for enhanced detection and treatment engagement. As one example, the US Preventive Services Task Force recommends depression screening for adolescents ages 12-18 years. While many health systems have implemented components of depression screening protocols, there is limited evidence of effective follow-up for pediatric depression. A key barrier is timely team communication and coordination across clinicians and staff within and across service areas for prompt service linkage. However, team effectiveness interventions have been shown to improve team processes and outcomes and can be applied in healthcare settings. METHODS: This project aims to refine and test a team communication training implementation strategy to improve implementation of an existing pediatric depression screening protocol in a large pediatric healthcare system. The team will be defined as part of the study but is expected to include medical assistants, nurses, physicians, and behavioral health clinicians within and across departments. The implementation strategy will target team mechanisms at the team-level (i.e., intra-organizational alignment and implementation climate) and team member-level (i.e., communication, coordination, psychological safety, and shared cognition). First, the project will use mixed methods to refine the team training strategy to fit the organizational context and workflows. Next, a hybrid type 3 implementation-effectiveness pilot trial will assess the initial effectiveness of the team communication training (implementation strategy) paired with the current universal depression screening protocol (clinical intervention) on implementation outcomes (i.e., feasibility, acceptability, appropriateness, workflow efficiency) and clinical/services outcomes (increased frequency of needed screening and reduced time to service linkage). Finally, the study will assess mechanisms at the team and team member levels that may affect implementation outcomes. DISCUSSION: Team communication training is hypothesized to lead to improved, efficient, and effective decision-making to increase the compliance with depression screening and timely service linkage. Findings are expected to yield better understanding and examples of how to optimize team communication to improve efficiency and effectiveness in the pediatric depression screening-to-treatment cascade. This should also culminate in improved implementation outcomes including patient engagement critical to address the youth mental health crisis. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT06527196. Trial Sponsor: University of California San Diego.

The learning health system (LHS) model was proposed to provide real-time, bi-directional flow of learning using data captured in health information technology systems to deliver rapid learning in healthcare delivery. As highlighted by the landmark National Academy of Medicine report "Crossing the Quality Chasm," the U.S. healthcare delivery industry represents complex adaptive systems, and there is an urgent need to develop innovative methods to identify efficient team structures by harnessing real-world care delivery data found in the electronic health record (EHR). We offer a discussion surrounding the complexities of team communication and how solutions may be guided by theories such as the Multiteam System (MTS) framework and the Multitheoretical Multilevel Framework of Communication Networks. To advance healthcare delivery science and promote LHSs, our team has been building a new line of research using EHR data to study MTS in the complex real world of cancer care delivery. We are developing new network metrics to study MTSs and will be analyzing the impact of EHR communication network structures on patient outcomes. As this research leads to patient care delivery interventions/tools, healthcare leaders and healthcare professionals can effectively use health IT data to implement the most evidence-based collaboration approaches in order to achieve the optimal LHS and patient outcomes.

Both the quantity and quality of communication are universal predictors of the performance of work teams and are usually considered as one of the main components ensuring a smooth operation of missions in exposed teams. Thus, the measurement and analysis of crew communication in simulated flights serve as an important basis for implementing measures contributing to maintaining high crew performance and reliability. This paper aims to present a series of analyses of the structure and dynamics of communication in the SIRIUS 2017–2023 experiments and to compare quantitatively and qualitatively its three stages. Each of them involved a distinct team and each had a different total duration of isolation. Six-person crews (three men and three women each) participated in all three stages of the SIRIUS experiment. The first stage lasted 17 days, the second stage 4 months, and the third stage lasted 8 months. In all stages, the quantity and quality of communication were measured by assessment questionnaires using Likert scales (both frequency and qualitative-developmental). Each crew member individually assessed all their colleagues; thus, the data collected is relational and matrix structured. Responses were collected before, after, and during the mission at regular intervals (every two weeks). The collected data was analyzed using control charts and the Sociomapping method, which focuses on the analysis and visualization of relational data. The study compared communication patterns both between stages and within each stage at different time frames. A comprehensive series of results of the control charts from all the stages under study shows that the method used to measure communication is sufficiently reliable over time and at the same time sensitive enough to capture both sudden changes and longer-term trends in the overall quantity and quality of communication, its structure, dynamics, communication subgroups (national, gender), etc. With this complexity, the applied methodological approach brings unique insights into crew communication during the mission and offers new possibilities in the field of follow-up interventions. The experience of the SIRIUS experiment suggests that the measurement of communication does not only serve research purposes but also as a tool to focus the crew's attention on the level of their intercommunication throughout the experiment, contributing to maintaining it at an appropriate level throughout the simulated flight. • A unique sociodiagnostic and intervention method of sociomapping. • Effective measurement of communication and collaboration. • Effective functioning of exposed professions. • Appropriate use of sociomapping for individuals and groups in isolation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced most universities to shift from traditional face-to-face teaching to remote learning. This sudden transition has presented numerous challenges for institutions that were unaccustomed to remote work, particularly in the context of senior design projects in engineering. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the influencing factors and their relative importance in affecting team communication in senior design projects during remote work. The study used the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) approach to measure the level of importance of each factor using pairwise comparison in a structured questionnaire. The survey was distributed among group leaders of senior engineering design projects and faculty members who supervised these projects. The study identified five influencing factors: interaction and relations, trust, technology, time, and working environment. The pairwise comparison revealed that interaction and relations were the most important factor in influencing the communication process during remote work. Based on the identified influencing factors, strategies to improve the effectiveness and collaboration of remote meetings were established, providing a roadmap for universities to better prepare for future disruptions and maintain effective communication within student teams during remote work. Furthermore, these findings could have implications for other areas of higher education and the broader workplace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study examines low-, medium-, and high-performing Human-Autonomy Teams' (HATs') communication strategies during various technological failures that impact routine communication strategies to adapt to the task environment. Background: Teams must adapt their communication strategies during dynamic tasks, where more successful teams make more substantial adaptations. Adaptations in communication strategies may explain how successful HATs overcome technological failures. Further, technological failures of variable severity may alter communication strategies of HATs at different performance levels in their attempts to overcome each failure. Method: HATs in a Remotely Piloted Aircraft System-Synthetic Task Environment (RPAS-STE), involving three team members, were tasked with photographing targets. Each triad had two randomly assigned participants in navigator and photographer roles, teaming with an experimenter who simulated an AI pilot in a Wizard of Oz paradigm. Teams encountered two different technological failures, automation and autonomy, where autonomy failures were more challenging to overcome. Results: High-performing HATs calibrated their communication strategy to the complexity of the different failures better than medium- and low-performing teams. Further, HATs adjusted their communication strategies over time. Finally, only the most severe failures required teams to increase the efficiency of their communication. Conclusion: HAT effectiveness under degraded conditions depends on the type of communication strategies enacted by the team. Previous findings from studies of all-human teams apply here; however, novel results suggest information requests are particularly important to HAT success during failures. Application: Understanding the communication strategies of HATs under degraded conditions can inform training protocols to help HATs overcome failures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The objective was to demonstrate anthropomorphism needs to communicate contextually useful information to increase user confidence and accurately calibrate human trust in automation. Background: Anthropomorphism is believed to improve human-automation trust but supporting evidence remains equivocal. We test the Human-Automation Trust Expectation Model (HATEM) that predicts improvements to trust calibration and confidence in accepted advice arising from anthropomorphism will be weak unless it aids naturalistic communication of contextually useful information to facilitate prediction of automation failures. Method: Ninety-eight undergraduates used a submarine periscope simulator to classify ships, aided by the Ship Automated Modelling (SAM) system that was 50% reliable. A between-subjects 2 × 3 design compared SAM appearance (anthropomorphic avatar vs. camera eye) and voice inflection (monotone vs. meaningless vs. meaningful), with the meaningful inflections communicating contextually useful information about automated advice regarding certainty and uncertainty. Results: Avatar SAM appearance was rated as more anthropomorphic than camera eye, and meaningless and meaningful inflections were both rated more anthropomorphic than monotone. However, for subjective trust, trust calibration, and confidence in accepting SAM advice, there was no evidence of anthropomorphic appearance having any impact, while there was decisive evidence that meaningful inflections yielded better outcomes on these trust measures than monotone and meaningless inflections. Conclusion: Anthropomorphism had negligible impact on human-automation trust unless its execution enhanced communication of relevant information that allowed participants to better calibrate expectations of automation performance. Application: Designers using anthropomorphism to calibrate trust need to consider what contextually useful information will be communicated via anthropomorphic features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to introduce a team-centric leadership training program tailored for leaders of critical action teams. It emphasizes the critical role of effective teamwork in high-stakes environments. Design/methodology/approach: The authors developed a team-centric leadership training program for crew leaders of airport security teams. The training program comprised in-class teaching on the psychological foundations of teamwork and practical simulations. The training program's effectiveness was assessed at the individual and team levels using Kirkpatrick's evaluation model to obtain a complete evaluation of its effectiveness. First, a pre- and posttraining questionnaire recorded changes in self-efficacy, knowledge and skills about teamwork at the individual level from 62 leaders. Second, the authors assessed the transfer effects of the team-centric leadership training on self-reported team processes and team performance during a work shift of 37 crews. Findings: Results indicate an improvement in the application of teamwork skills but not in self-efficacy or knowledge among crew leaders who underwent the training. Additional analysis revealed that leaders with initially high self-efficacy in teamwork experienced a reduction posttraining, whereas those with initially low levels reported an increase. Teams led by trained leaders demonstrated a higher engagement in key team processes than those led by untrained leaders. No effect has been found on team performance. Originality/value: This study offers a cost-effective alternative to conventional teamwork training methods, specifically designed for high-pressure security contexts. The authors advocate for the adoption of this training model by security professionals, aiming to elevate team processes and operational efficacy in critical action teams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Surgical safety remains a critical global health concern, with complications from surgical procedures resulting in significant morbidity and mortality, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. The World Health Organization (WHO) Surgical Safety Checklist (SSC) has been shown to reduce surgical complications and mortality rates. However, its implementation and impact in resource-limited settings like Somalia remain understudied. This study aimed to evaluate the implementation of the WHO SSC in selected hospitals in Mogadishu, Somalia, and assess its impact on surgical safety practices. Methods: A pre- and post-intervention study was conducted in 15 randomly selected hospitals in Mogadishu, Somalia. The intervention involved a comprehensive training program on the WHO SSC for surgical teams. Data on hospital characteristics, surgical details, and adherence to the SSC were collected over two periods: pre-intervention (April 12th to May 4th, 2024) and post-intervention (May 12th to June 3rd, 2024). The primary outcome was the adherence to the SSC, categorized as good (> 60%) or poor (≤ 60%). Descriptive statistics, McNemar's test, and binary logistic regression were used for data analysis. Results: Adherence to the WHO SSC significantly improved post-intervention, with 98.8% of surgical cases demonstrating good adherence compared to 37% pre-intervention (p < 0.001). The mean adherence score increased from 51.6% (SD = 29.6) to 94.1% (SD = 8.2). Significant improvements were observed for most individual checklist items, including patient identity confirmation, surgical site marking, anesthesia machine checks, and pulse oximeter use (p < 0.001). Team dynamics and communication also improved significantly post-intervention. Hospital type, size, years of service, funding source, surgical department, surgery type, urgency, and staff numbers were associated with checklist adherence pre-intervention. Conclusion: The implementation of a comprehensive training intervention significantly improved adherence to the WHO Surgical Safety Checklist in resource-limited hospitals in Mogadishu, Somalia. The findings highlight the feasibility and effectiveness of the SSC in enhancing surgical safety practices, team communication, and patient outcomes in challenging healthcare environments. Tailored implementation strategies, ongoing training, and cultural adaptation are crucial for the successful adoption of the SSC in resource-constrained settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Pediatric depression is a global concern that has fueled efforts for enhanced detection and treatment engagement. As one example, the US Preventive Services Task Force recommends depression screening for adolescents ages 12–18 years. While many health systems have implemented components of depression screening protocols, there is limited evidence of effective follow-up for pediatric depression. A key barrier is timely team communication and coordination across clinicians and staff within and across service areas for prompt service linkage. However, team effectiveness interventions have been shown to improve team processes and outcomes and can be applied in healthcare settings. Methods This project aims to refine and test a team communication training implementation strategy to improve implementation of an existing pediatric depression screening protocol in a large pediatric healthcare system. The team will be defined as part of the study but is expected to include medical assistants, nurses, physicians, and behavioral health clinicians within and across departments. The implementation strategy will target team mechanisms at the team-level (i.e., intra-organizational alignment and implementation climate) and team member-level (i.e., communication, coordination, psychological safety, and shared cognition). First, the project will use mixed methods to refine the team training strategy to fit the organizational context and workflows. Next, a hybrid type 3 implementation-effectiveness pilot trial will assess the initial effectiveness of the team communication training (implementation strategy) paired with the current universal depression screening protocol (clinical intervention) on implementation outcomes (i.e., feasibility, acceptability, appropriateness, workflow efficiency) and clinical/services outcomes (increased frequency of needed screening and reduced time to service linkage). Finally, the study will assess mechanisms at the team and team member levels that may affect implementation outcomes. Discussion Team communication training is hypothesized to lead to improved, efficient, and effective decision-making to increase the compliance with depression screening and timely service linkage. Findings are expected to yield better understanding and examples of how to optimize team communication to improve efficiency and effectiveness in the pediatric depression screening-to-treatment cascade. This should also culminate in improved implementation outcomes including patient engagement critical to address the youth mental health crisis. Trial registration NCT06527196. Trial Sponsor: University of California San Diego.

Many organizations have adopted videoconferencing tools for meeting platforms since the COVID-19 pandemic. The boom of virtual meetings (VM) in the workplace led to active discussion of VM communication behaviors and technologies among communication and HCI scholars. However, synthesizing computer-mediated communication (CMC) and meeting science literature is needed to understand how VM interactions manifest in the workplace to support workplace communication through VM technologies. Inspired by literature of CMC and meeting science, this study seeks to understand how VM communication affects worker interactions and workplace outcomes by conducting semi-structured interviews with nine remote workers. This study identified four major themes about VM experiences: Loss of spontaneous interactions, lack of nonverbal communication, more fatigue with more efforts, and more distractions, less engagement, and identified three major themes about the impacts of VM communication on the workplace: Loss of workplace learning, double edged sword on work relationships, and double edged sword on productivity. Considering workplace dynamics building upon remote workers' VM experiences, this study offers practical and theoretical insights into VM technology development to augment workers' well-being and team communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The literature widely supports the benefits of early integration of palliative care into pediatric oncological care; however, many barriers to its successful integration remain. Integrating palliative care as early as possible in the oncology pathway is critical, but other criteria are relevant to positive results. This paper aims to contribute to the early/late referral dualism in pediatric palliative care (PPC) and highlight the importance of a collaborative approach between oncologists and palliative care teams. This study investigates the impact of early versus late referral to PPC, intersecting it with the synergy work between services and the related outcomes. The four pediatric cancer cases were selected based on clinical (e.g., disease duration, multiple treatments, and pain management), management (e.g., involvement of multiple services and multiple home-hospital transitions), and relevance of multidisciplinary team (e.g., difficult clinical decisions and ethical discussions) criteria. A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining qualitative case analysis using clinical diaries, literature review, and practice guidelines development. Critical clinical information, time course, clinician-family communication, and patient involvement were analyzed. The outcomes show how simultaneous care creates continuous discussion and dialogue between professionals. The results indicate the importance of better communication and care coordination to improve patient and family satisfaction, highlighting the uniqueness of the pediatric field and the relationship with children and families. Through the discussion of clinical cases and a literature review, we provide practical guidance for clinicians working in oncology and PPC. These findings underscore the crucial need for amultidisciplinary approach in pediatric oncology, advocating policy changes to support early PPC integration and translate it into complementarity best operating practices. In conclusion, besides assessing the timeliness of referral to the PPC service, the synergy, harmony, and choralwork of the professionals involved are equally valuable for a quality-of-life-oriented care plan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This article aims to investigate the impact of fine-grained differences in unit layout on care staff corridor communication. Background: Corridor design can be undertaken with greater emphasis on space and cost efficiency or with greater emphasis on affording quality knowledge workspace. Building on prior research on care team communication and inpatient unit design, this study aims to gain a better understanding of how corridor layout properties affect care team communication. Method: This study used space syntax analysis to characterize inpatient unit design, specifically floor-plan layout. Two approaches were used to capture care team communication: behavior mapping with recording of care team member locations and whether they were communicating and the HDR CARE Scale, Inpatient Version. The two units were part of a vertical tower expansion project, and, though constructed at separate times, they maintain the same organizational culture, floor plate, and location of key vertical elements. Results: The newer unit was found to be more visually open using three measures from space syntax. More nursing staff verbal communication was observed on this unit. Across both units, nursing staff were more likely to be observed verbally communicating in locations that were more visually connected (i.e., at locations with larger viewsheds). There were no significant differences between nursing staff self-report on work using the HDR CARE Scale, Inpatient Version. Conclusion: We conclude that care team communication may tend to be encouraged by visual connectivity that can be promoted through floor-plan layout. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The perioperative setting is a complex environment requiring interdisciplinary team collaboration to avoid adverse events. To protect the safety of patients and perioperative team members, communication among personnel should be clear and effective. The recently updated AORN "Guideline for team communication" provides perioperative nurses with recommendations on the topic. To promote effective communication in perioperative areas, all personnel should value and commit to a culture of safety. This article discusses recommendations for supporting a culture of safety, developing and implementing an effective hand‐off process and surgical safety checklist, and developing education strategies for team communication. It also includes a scenario describing the implementation of a standardized, electronic surgical safety checklist in the OR. Perioperative nurses should review the guideline in its entirety and apply the recommendations for team communication in their working environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A scoping review of the literature was conducted aiming to identify challenges to implementing multi-professional team briefing and debriefing processes for surgical cases. The review aimed to cover both elective and acute surgical cases, focussing on intraoperative briefing and debriefing rather than the intraoperative Surgical Safety Checklist components. The studies all explored the challenges to implementing multi-professional briefing and debriefing in the surgical setting. Findings from the articles are discussed thematically, highlighting the challenges of implementing briefing and debriefing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We explore the relationships between objective communication patterns displayed during virtual team meetings and established, qualitative measures of team member effectiveness. Background: A key component of teamwork is communication. Automated measures of objective communication patterns are becoming more feasible and offer the ability to measure and monitor communication in a scalable, consistent and continuous manner. However, their validity in reflecting meaningful measures of teamwork processes are not well established, especially in real-world settings. Method: We studied real-world virtual student teams working on semester-long projects. We captured virtual team meetings using the Zoom video conferencing platform throughout the semester and periodic surveys comprising peer ratings of team member effectiveness. Leveraging audio transcripts, we examined relationships between objective measures of speaking time, silence gap duration and vocal turn-taking and peer ratings of team member effectiveness. Results: Speaking time, speaking turn count, degree centrality and (marginally) speaking turn duration, but not silence gap duration, were positively related to individual-level team member effectiveness. Time in dyadic interactions and interaction count, but not interaction length, were positively related to dyad-level team member effectiveness. Conclusion: Our study highlights the relevance of objective measures of speaking time and vocal turn-taking to team member effectiveness in virtual project-based teams, supporting the validity of these objective measures and their use in future research. Application: Our approach offers a scalable, easy-to-use method for measuring communication patterns and team member effectiveness in virtual teams and opens the opportunity to study these patterns in a more continuous and dynamic manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Team‐based organizational structures have been widely adopted in tourism and hospitality firms. Based on socio‐technical systems theory, this study focused on two critical components of team design: team‐level autonomy and task interdependence. The impacts of these elements on team outcomes vary by context (e.g., organizations and task types). Exploration of these features' relationships with teamwork processes in tourism and hospitality settings is thus warranted. This study took a social process (i.e., team communication) as a mediating mechanism to explain team‐level organizational phenomena. A total of 312 responses from tourism and hospitality employees were collected through Qualtrics. Structural equation modeling using the R Lavaan package showed that team‐level autonomy and task interdependence were positively and indirectly related to team performance through team communication. Also, their interaction was positively associated with team outcomes. These findings contribute to the team effectiveness literature and provide tourism and hospitality organizations with practical guidance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The literature widely supports the benefits of early integration of palliative care into pediatric oncological care; however, many barriers to its successful integration remain. Integrating palliative care as early as possible in the oncology pathway is critical, but other criteria are relevant to positive results. This paper aims to contribute to the early/late referral dualism in pediatric palliative care (PPC) and highlight the importance of a collaborative approach between oncologists and palliative care teams. This study investigates the impact of early versus late referral to PPC, intersecting it with the synergy work between services and the related outcomes. The four pediatric cancer cases were selected based on clinical (e.g., disease duration, multiple treatments, and pain management), management (e.g., involvement of multiple services and multiple home–hospital transitions), and relevance of multidisciplinary team (e.g., difficult clinical decisions and ethical discussions) criteria. A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining qualitative case analysis using clinical diaries, literature review, and practice guidelines development. Critical clinical information, time course, clinician–family communication, and patient involvement were analyzed. The outcomes show how simultaneous care creates continuous discussion and dialogue between professionals. The results indicate the importance of better communication and care coordination to improve patient and family satisfaction, highlighting the uniqueness of the pediatric field and the relationship with children and families. Through the discussion of clinical cases and a literature review, we provide practical guidance for clinicians working in oncology and PPC. These findings underscore the crucial need for a multidisciplinary approach in pediatric oncology, advocating policy changes to support early PPC integration and translate it into complementarity best operating practices. In conclusion, besides assessing the timeliness of referral to the PPC service, the synergy, harmony, and choral work of the professionals involved are equally valuable for a quality-of-life-oriented care plan.

Simple Summary: This study explores the impact of a blended learning course on enhancing interprofessional communication skills among veterinary students and apprentices training to become veterinary assistants. The course, which was first implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic, utilizes a blended learning design with online modules, synchronous seminars and simulation training. The results show an increase in knowledge and improved self-assessment of communication skills, with positive feedback on the course structure. Challenges such as limited resources are noted, emphasizing the need for ongoing data collection to refine the teaching methods and maximize the benefits for participants in future runs of the course. Based on the importance of communication and teamwork in veterinary practice, we explored the impact of a blended learning course designed to enhance interprofessional communication skills among veterinary students and apprentice assistants. The blended learning course design included online modules, synchronous (online) seminars, and simulation training sessions. The asynchronous online elements should complement the varied schedules of different professions and meet the individual needs of participants, especially considering the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The course structure, evaluations, and outcomes were documented, showing a positive impact on knowledge gain concerning communication and self-assessment in communication skills. In the pretest, the participants scored 43.18% correct answers to a knowledge test, whereas 71.50% correct answers were given in the posttest. Some participants indicated an improvement in the self-assessment of their skills. For example, before the training only 13.64% answered the question "How prepared do you feel regarding your communication skills for entering the profession?" with "Very good" or "Good", versus 50.00% in the posttest. There were also only 22.73% of participants who agreed to having sufficient understanding of the roles of other professional groups, while in the posttest, 81.82% agreed. The evaluations highlighted positive feedback on the organization, learning environment, and overall course structure. However, challenges such as limited resources, especially time and financial constraints, influenced the implementation and ongoing development of the course. Subsequent runs of the course could gather more data to further improve the teaching of veterinary interprofessional communication. This ongoing data collection would allow continuous insights into and adjustments to the teaching methods, ensuring maximum benefit for veterinary students and apprentice assistants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The link between healthcare worker (HCW) communication, teamwork and patient safety is well-established. Infection prevention and control (IPC) and antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) require multidisciplinary teamwork and communication. We conducted a scoping review of published evidence on effective mechanisms of HCW team communication in hospitals with the intention of transferring and tailoring learning to IPC and AMS team communication. PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and CINAHL were searched for studies that investigated HCW team communication across in-hospital patient pathways. Studies published between 2000 and 2021 that provided evidence on/or described the effect of communication on team and patient outcomes in hospital were included. Through a process of inductive qualitative content analysis, key themes in the included studies were identified. Of 537 studies identified, 53 (from high-income countries) were included in the data extraction. Fifty one percent (27/53) of studies were conducted in high acuity settings e.g., intensive care units. Standardizing or structuring the content and/or process of team communication was the most common goal of interventions (34/53, 64%). The key outcome measures were either team communication focused (25/34,74%) or patient and process outcome focused (8/34, 24%), such as reduced length of mechanical ventilation days, length of hospital stay, and shorter empiric antibiotic duration. Four studies (4/53, 8%) associated improved communication with positive IPC and AMS outcome measures. Mixed method intervention studies primarily facilitated collaborative input from HCWs and applied structures to standardize the content of patient care discussions, whereas observational studies describe component of team communication. A communication strategy that formalizes input from multidisciplinary team members can lead to optimized and consistent clinical discussion including in IPC and AMS-related care. Although we were unable to assess the effectiveness of interventions, the existing evidence suggests that optimizing team communication can have a positive effect on infection-related patient outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper used communication theory of resilience (CTR) and high-reliability organization (HRO) theory to investigate the influence of resilience processes on disruption management outcomes (DMOs) at both the individual and team levels and at two points in time. Perceptions of individual and team stress, efficacy, and performance were examined longitudinally in surveys with working adults (N = 192, 151). Results indicated (a) communicative resilience was significantly related to improvements in DMOs at time 1 (T1), (b) highly-reliable organizing was significantly related to improvements in DMOs for individuals and teams at both collection times, and that (c) high-reliability organizing practices were generally more predictive of positive DMOs than communicative resilience; however, the two forms of resilience are compatible and complementary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, experimental economics has seen a rise in the collection and analysis of choice-process data, such as team communication transcripts. The main purpose of this paper is to understand whether the collection of team communication data influences how individuals reason and behave as they enter the team deliberation process, i.e. before any communication exchange. Such an influence would imply that team setups have limited validity to speak to individual reasoning processes. Our treatment manipulations allow us to isolate the effects of (1) belonging to a team, (2) actively suggesting an action to the team partner, and (3) justifying the suggestion in a written text to the team partner. Across three different tasks, we find no systematic evidence of changed suggestions and altered individual sophistication due to changes in aspects (1)–(3) of our experimental design. We thus find no threat to said validity of team setups. In addition to investigating how the team setup affects individual behavior before communication, we also investigate the sophistication of decisions after the communication. We find that sophisticated strategies are more persuasive than unsophisticated strategies, especially when communication includes written justifications, thereby explaining why teams are more sophisticated and proving rich communication to be fruitful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Featured Application: The influencing factors can be applied as references to human reliability analysis in the nuclear power plant industry. A nuclear power plant (NPP), as a complex safety-critical system, requires qualified operators working in teams. Interactions between operators in the main control room (MCR) team are important to ensure safe operation. Since communication is the basis of the operators' interactions, team communication is a significant factor affecting teamwork performance. Especially during NPP emergencies, poor team communication may lead to incorrect decisions and countermeasures, causing deterioration toward accidents. Moreover, in an emergency situation, emergency response teams are assembled. This multi-team and critical work condition further emphasizes the need for effective and accurate team communication. We collected the factors influencing team communication in NPP emergencies using a literature review combined with text mining. Our method for extracting the influencing factors consists of four steps; then, by applying topic modeling from text mining, we complemented the influencing factors. The resulting list of influencing factors of team communications for handling NPP emergencies is organized into five elements: individual, team, communication, NPP tasks, and external elements. Discussions on the team communication model, applicability, communication errors, and emergency response teams are also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasingly, teams consist of members from widely distinct knowledge domains. This article studies the extent to which research and development (R&D) teams can transform their members' different technological knowledge into impactful inventions. Although teams composed of members with distinct expertise can create impactful new technologies, in order to realize this potential, team members must have the ability and motivation to integrate each other's knowledge. This article argues that the ability to do so is shaped by the patterns of intrateam ties, measured in terms of coauthorships on patents. Our results suggest that teams' ability to reap the advantages of members' distinct expertise is shaped by the patterns of members' prior collaboration ties. Prior experience working together (i.e., density) and the presence of factions of team members with common history (i.e., subgroups) improve teams' ability to leverage differences in members' knowledge. In contrast, when prior collaborations center on one focal person (i.e., centralization), teams are less able to take advantage of the knowledge differences on the team. An analysis of 32,612 nanotechnology R&D teams provides support for the hypotheses. Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2023.1665. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The learning health system (LHS) model was proposed to provide real‐time, bi‐directional flow of learning using data captured in health information technology systems to deliver rapid learning in healthcare delivery. As highlighted by the landmark National Academy of Medicine report “Crossing the Quality Chasm,” the U.S. healthcare delivery industry represents complex adaptive systems, and there is an urgent need to develop innovative methods to identify efficient team structures by harnessing real‐world care delivery data found in the electronic health record (EHR). We offer a discussion surrounding the complexities of team communication and how solutions may be guided by theories such as the Multiteam System (MTS) framework and the Multitheoretical Multilevel Framework of Communication Networks. To advance healthcare delivery science and promote LHSs, our team has been building a new line of research using EHR data to study MTS in the complex real world of cancer care delivery. We are developing new network metrics to study MTSs and will be analyzing the impact of EHR communication network structures on patient outcomes. As this research leads to patient care delivery interventions/tools, healthcare leaders and healthcare professionals can effectively use health IT data to implement the most evidence‐based collaboration approaches in order to achieve the optimal LHS and patient outcomes.

Based on the Resource Based View and Social Identity Theory, this endeavor intends to determine the influence of agile project management methodology on project success by applying the mediating role of team-level outcomes (team communication and team empowerment) on the relationship between agile project management and project success. The data gathered from 226 project team professionals working in the Information Technology sector of Pakistan. This endeavour utilized Partial Least Squares - Structural Equation Modeling to substantiate the direct and mediating effects. The result indicated that agile project management methodology significantly influences project success. Moreover, the result further validated that team communication and team empowerment mediate this relationship. There is a deficiency of an empirical investigation on the relationship between agile project management and project success in evolving republics context. This study makes a significant contribution to the field of IT project management by demonstrating that agile project management impacts project success while team communication and team empowerment mediate this relation. This is one of the earliest study that explores the inter-relationship among agile project management, project success and team outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Communication and leadership communication are key for an efficient performance of physicians. They hold a team together, help hospitals to develop and retain capable employees, and are directly related to physicians' job satisfaction. We aim to test the impact of leadership models and various items of leadership communication on job satisfaction and well-being of physicians working in Swiss hospitals. Method: We conducted a nationwide survey of physicians in Swiss hospitals in 2019 to assess the correlation between communication and leadership style with job satisfaction and well-being of physicians. The evaluation of the survey uses multivariate, statistical analysis (descriptive evaluations, regression model, factor analyses). Results: The data reveal that leadership communication, e.g., the tone of communication, information quality and information behaviour and feedback have the most positive impact on job satisfaction and well-being. These items have a stronger influence on well-being when physicians belong to a younger generation, such as Generation Y (born after 1980). Leadership communication has the greatest impact on job satisfaction on residents and a lesser impact on physicians in higher hierarchical levels. Conclusions: To increase job satisfaction and well-being amongst physicians, hospitals superiors and supervisors are advised to invest in education and training on leadership communication and feedback with special focus on the younger generation as well as on female physicians as this will have the greatest impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In interprofessional emergency response teams, firefighters, police, and paramedics must communicate efficiently (i.e., request the correct expert) to avoid life-threatening consequences. However, this communication is sometimes inefficient, for example, when a wrong expert is requested due to the lack of meta-knowledge. Team research has shown that meta-knowledge of "who knows what" improves team communication, so that members correctly request each other according to their expertise. Advances in technology, such as software agents holding meta-knowledge, can be used to improve team communication. In this paper, we analyze the effects of meta-knowledge on expert seeking, mistakes in requesting experts, and (adaptive) team performance by comparing manual and automated agent-based team communication. Using a control-center simulation, 360 students in 120 three-person teams had the interdependent task of handling emergencies in three phases. We manipulated meta-knowledge in advance, with 61 teams learning and 59 teams not learning other team members' expertise. Furthermore, in phases 1 and 3, team members had to communicate manually. In phase 2, communication was automated by a software agent taking over expert requesting. In line with our hypotheses, results showed that software agents can compensate the lack of meta-knowledge, so that there were no performance differences between teams with and without meta-knowledge with automated team communication. Our findings provide implications for research and practice that established team constructs should also be considered in human-automation teams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orientation: This study examined the linkage between team communication, team motivation and search and rescue (SAR) team performance. Research purpose: The study intends to investigate the impact of selected team factors that affect team performance, while adding to the scarce studies done on SAR team performance (especially in Malaysia). Motivation for the study: Search and rescue teams are skilled elite teams that can reflect the true characteristics of a team’s performance. Research approach / design and method: The study comprised 850 individual team members who were aggregated into 209 teams. Teams were among the SAR teams of the Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department. The study used a quantitative approach, employing the purposive sampling technique. The relationships between team communication, team motivation and SAR team performance were analysed using the structural equation modelling (SEM). Main findings: The results indicate that team communication affects SAR team performance; however, the relationship is not mediated by team motivation. Practical/managerial implications: Team communication is vital to the achievement of teams’ objectives. However, in life-and-death situations, which are usual for SAR teams, team motivation does not have a role in how communication affects the teams’ performance. Team leaders and the managers of SAR teams need to focus on effective communication techniques in order to achieve excellent performance. This includes the use of appropriate verbal and non-verbal communication. Contribution/value-add: This study adds value to the current literature on team performance, specifically SAR team performance.

Objective: We describe a methodology that provides a nonobtrusive means of detecting stress and related deficits through the assessment of spontaneous verbal output in ongoing communications. Background: In high-demand environments, operational personnel are exposed to an array of environmental, task, and interpersonal stressors that can negatively impact performance as well as jeopardize safety and well-being. In these settings, the requirement exists to assess cognitive and emotional state "at a distance" and without interfering with ongoing performance. Method: We describe a lexical approach to assessing stress effects from ongoing or spontaneous verbal output. This approach is examined in a spaceflight analog setting. Results: We assess stress effects in terms of five core dimensions and develop lexical indicators of these core stress dimensions and relevant sub-facets. We establish the proof-of-concept of this approach by presenting representative data from a spaceflight analog. Conclusion: This approach provides an unobtrusive means to evaluate ongoing task communications at the individual and team level in order to assess cognitive/emotional states such as workload, negative affect, attentional focus, anxiety, and team orientation. Application: There are many high-demand settings in which it is valuable to monitor the potential negative effects of stress on operational personnel. These environments include spaceflight, the military, aviation, law enforcement, and medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Several studies were conducted to assess media-specific communication protocols as a countermeasure to challenges of asynchronous space–ground communication. Background: Previous research demonstrated that transmission delay can negatively impact space–ground communication, collaboration, and task performance. We created media-specific protocols designed to mitigate identified problems associated with asynchronous communication and examined their effects on team communication and task performance. Methods: The lab study included 24 teams of three who collaborated remotely via voice or text on computer-based tasks simulating failures in a spacecraft's life support system. Training and availability of communication protocols was the between-groups variable. Perceived usability, criticality, and effectiveness of the communication protocols were also assessed in space–analog simulations. Results: Lab study data revealed that communication protocols facilitated some aspects of team communication; specifically, they reduced threats to common ground and information splitting but not instances of miscommunication. Analog data indicated that protocol compliance was high, participants evaluated most elements as highly important, and protocols maintained perceived communication effectiveness between space crews and mission control during time delay comparably to no-time-delay conditions. Conclusion: Converging data attest to the feasibility, usability, and effectiveness of empirically derived communication protocols as a countermeasure to the negative impacts of transmission delay and also point to technological solutions. Application: The communication protocols have been adopted for training in NASA analog simulations involving time-delayed communication. They could also support communication among remote team members in medical operations, command-and-control teams, or disaster response under asynchronous conditions or when time is limited and precise communication is critical. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Communication is essential for safe, effective patient care. In perioperative services, where interdisciplinary teamwork is crucial, communication breakdowns may lead to increased errors, decreased staff member satisfaction, and poor team performance. This process improvement project focused on instituting perioperative huddles for two months and measuring the effect that they had on staff members' satisfaction, engagement, and communication effectiveness. We used validated, Likert‐style survey tools to gauge participants' satisfaction, level of engagement, communication practices, and opinions about the value of huddles before and after implementation, in addition to an open‐ended descriptive question in the postsurvey. Sixty‐one participants completed the presurvey and 24 participants completed the postsurvey. Scores across all categories increased post huddle implementation. Benefits of the huddles noted by participants included timely and consistent messaging, sharing essential information, and increased feelings of connection between perioperative leaders and staff members. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PURPOSE This study aimed to develop a team building program for a middle school soccer team in order to verify its effects. METHODS A total of 50 middle school soccer players participated in the needs analysis, and 10 middle school soccer players participated the preliminary program. In addition, a total of 37 ‘S’ middle school soccer players and 2 coaches participated the final team building program to identify its effects. The team building program was developed through the following sequence: program goal setting, organization of program activities, and the pretest. Three types of questionnaires and a self-report were utilized to verify the effects of the team building program. RESULTS The team building program was developed based on interpersonal relationships, goal setting, and communication. The level of team cohesion, team communication, and coach-athletes interaction significantly increased through this program. Furthermore, the effects of stress relief and self-improvement were revealed through the self-report. CONCLUSIONS The team building program was determined to be effective and has various benefits. It is expected to contribute to the growth of middle school soccer players if coaches actively participate in the program with their athletes.

Based on the importance of communication and teamwork in veterinary practice, we explored the impact of a blended learning course designed to enhance interprofessional communication skills among veterinary students and apprentice assistants. The blended learning course design included online modules, synchronous (online) seminars, and simulation training sessions. The asynchronous online elements should complement the varied schedules of different professions and meet the individual needs of participants, especially considering the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The course structure, evaluations, and outcomes were documented, showing a positive impact on knowledge gain concerning communication and self-assessment in communication skills. In the pretest, the participants scored 43.18% correct answers to a knowledge test, whereas 71.50% correct answers were given in the posttest. Some participants indicated an improvement in the self-assessment of their skills. For example, before the training only 13.64% answered the question “How prepared do you feel regarding your communication skills for entering the profession?” with “Very good” or “Good”, versus 50.00% in the posttest. There were also only 22.73% of participants who agreed to having sufficient understanding of the roles of other professional groups, while in the posttest, 81.82% agreed. The evaluations highlighted positive feedback on the organization, learning environment, and overall course structure. However, challenges such as limited resources, especially time and financial constraints, influenced the implementation and ongoing development of the course. Subsequent runs of the course could gather more data to further improve the teaching of veterinary interprofessional communication. This ongoing data collection would allow continuous insights into and adjustments to the teaching methods, ensuring maximum benefit for veterinary students and apprentice assistants.

A nuclear power plant (NPP), as a complex safety-critical system, requires qualified operators working in teams. Interactions between operators in the main control room (MCR) team are important to ensure safe operation. Since communication is the basis of the operators’ interactions, team communication is a significant factor affecting teamwork performance. Especially during NPP emergencies, poor team communication may lead to incorrect decisions and countermeasures, causing deterioration toward accidents. Moreover, in an emergency situation, emergency response teams are assembled. This multi-team and critical work condition further emphasizes the need for effective and accurate team communication. We collected the factors influencing team communication in NPP emergencies using a literature review combined with text mining. Our method for extracting the influencing factors consists of four steps; then, by applying topic modeling from text mining, we complemented the influencing factors. The resulting list of influencing factors of team communications for handling NPP emergencies is organized into five elements: individual, team, communication, NPP tasks, and external elements. Discussions on the team communication model, applicability, communication errors, and emergency response teams are also presented.

The aim of this research is the determined of relationship between team cohesion and effective communication skill levels in volleyball players. In the study, a descriptive relational survey model was used. The study group consists of 193 athletes, as 143 females and 50 males. For the " Group Environment Questionnaire,", " Scale for Effective Communication in Team Sports" and personal information form were used as data collection tools. In the analysis phase; it was determined that the data showed normal distribution, Independent Sample T-Test, One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) test was applied for comparisons between groups. The relationship between Group Environment and Effective Communication levels was determined by Pearson's Analysis. The analysis results showed that; there was no significant difference according to gender, position and year of sport in the Group Environment Questionnaire. There was significant difference according to marital status in the Group Environment-Task. In the Scale for Effective Communication in Team Sports; There was no significant difference according to gender and position. There was significant difference found according to age and marital status variable in the effective communication. There was significant difference according to year of sport in discrimination-negative conflict scores. As a result of the correlation analysis, there was a positive and moderate relationship between team cohesion with effective communication. However, it was determined that there was no significant correlation between team cohesion and sub-dimension scores and discrimination-negative conflict scores. In this regard, it is foreseen that the cooperation of club technical members-athlete and including in-club social activities will be a supportive factor.

Abstract Background Simulation research that seeks to solve the problem of silence among interprofessional teams has focused almost exclusively on training subordinate team members to be more courageous and to speak up to team leaders using direct challenge scripts despite the great interpersonal cost. Consequently, the existing literature overemphasizes the responsibility of subordinate team members for speaking up and fails to consider the role and responsibilities of team leaders in sustaining silence. The purpose of this study is to identify and describe the subtle behaviors and actions of team leaders that both promote and discourage speaking up. Methods This study used a simulation-primed qualitative inquiry approach. Obstetricians (OB) at one academic center participated in an interprofessional simulation as an embedded participant. Five challenge moments (CM) were scripted for the OB involving deliberate clinical judgment errors or professionalism infractions. Other participants were unaware of the OB embedded participant role. Thirteen iterations were completed with 39 participants. Twelve faculty members completed a subsequent semi-structured interview. Scenarios were videotaped; debriefs and interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were analyzed using an inductive thematic approach. Results After participating in an interprofessional simulation, faculty participants reflected that being an approachable team leader requires more than simply avoiding disruptive behaviors. We found that approachability necessitates that team leaders actively create the conditions in which team members perceive that speaking up is welcomed, rather than an act of bravery. In practice, this conceptualization of approachability involves the tangible actions of signaling availability through presence, uncertainty through thinking aloud, and vulnerability through debriefing. Conclusions By using faculty as embedded participants with scripted errors, our simulation design provided an ideal learning opportunity to prompt discussion of the subtle behaviors and actions of team leaders that both promote and discourage speaking up. Faculty participants gained a new appreciation that their actions create the conditions for speaking up to occur before critical incidents through their verbal and non-verbal communication.

Irene McGhee,1 Jordan Tarshis,1 Susan DeSousa2 1Department of Anesthesiology, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; 2Sunnybrook Canadian Simulation Centre, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaCorrespondence: Irene McGhee, Email irene.mcghee@utoronto.caPurpose: To study the effect of a communication tool entitled: “I START-END” (I-Identify; S-Story; T-Task; A-Accomplish/Adjust; R-Resources; T-Timely Updates; E-Exit; N-Next; D-Document and Debrief) in simulated urgent scenarios in non-operating room settings (referred to as “Ad Hoc”) with anesthesia residents. The “I START-END” tool was created by incorporating Crisis Resource Management (CRM) principles into a practical and user-friendly format.Methods: This was a mixed methods pre/post observational study with 47 anesthesia resident volunteers participating from July 2014 to June 2016. Each resident served as their own control, and participated in three simulated Ad Hoc scenarios. The first simulation served as a baseline. The second simulation occurred 1– 2 weeks after I START-END training. The third simulation occurred 3– 6 months later. Simulation performance was videotaped and reviewed by trained experts using technical skill checklists and Anesthesia Non-Technical Skills (ANTS) score. Residents filled out questionnaires, pre-simulation, 1– 2 weeks after I START-END training and 3– 6 months later. Concurrently, resident performance at actual Code Blue events was scored by trained observers using the Mayo High Performance Teamwork Scale.Results: 80– 90% of residents stated the tool provided an organized approach to Ad Hoc scenarios – specifically, information helpful to care of the patient was obtained more readily and better resource planning occurred as communication with the team improved. Residents stated they would continue to use the tool and apply it to other clinical settings. Resident video performance scores of technical skills showed significant improvement at the “late” session (3– 6 months post exposure to the I START-END). ANTS scores were satisfactory and remained unchanged throughout. There was no difference between residents with and without I START-END training as measured by the Mayo High Performance Teamwork Scale, however, debriefing at Code Blues occurred twice as often when residents had I START-END training.Conclusion: Non-operating room settings are fraught with unfamiliarity that create many challenges. The I START-END tool operationalizes key CRM elements. The tool was well received by residents; it enabled them to speak up more readily, obtain vital information and continually update each other by anticipating, planning, and debriefing in an organized and collaborative way.Keywords: “Ad Hoc” teams, team building, I START-END tool, non-operating room anesthesia, crisis resource management, team communication

Pediatric care transitions are important to patient safety, and improved methods to provide feedback about care transitions may lead to improvement. We conducted a secondary analysis of five simulations of the handoff of a pediatric trauma patient from the operating room (OR) to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) at a high-fidelity simulation center in the Midwestern United States using practicing clinicians as participants. By synthesizing literature with a qualitative content analysis of the simulation recordings, we identified communication content for these transitions: patient information, anesthesia information, surgical information, nursing information, equipment and technology transfer, patient transfer, professional environment, and simulation. We then used the five simulations to demonstrate use of natural language processing (NLP) models to classify communication content and team cognition behaviors, which could automate real-time evaluation of handoffs. We coded the communication content and behavior of each utterance of the simulations to test and train six support vector machine (SVM) models. Our most frequent communication content codes on average were anesthesia information (19.6 occurrences) followed by surgical information (17.6 occurrences). We found that a SVM model utilizing K-fold stratification with hyperparameter sensitivity analysis best classified communication content and behaviors, with accuracy scores of 74.19% and 54.84%, respectively. We believe our model could be improved through training with a larger dataset from real-life handoffs. Our communication content codes are organized according to what role is likely to provide that information, but handoff protocols must be explicitly team-based to allow team members to share information regardless of role.