Live Blog: Interprofessional Education

The newest installment of the Interprofessional Education series was presented by Maria Dolce and Jessica Hollman of Northeastern University School of Nursing, focusing on communication in the clinic. The TeamSTEPPS system was used as a guide.

Communication:

• A two-way process making sure each person understands what is conveyed.
• Most medical errors come from communication. 

Evidence-Based Tools/Techniques:

• Ensuring communication is complete
• Concise
• Timely

Barriers:

• Language
• Distractions
• Physical proximity
• Personalities
• Workload
• Varying comm styles
• Conflict
• Lack of info verification
• Shift change
• Family has fear of healthcare providers

Consequences:

• Conditions getting worse
• Adequate medication not prescribed

Info Exchange Strategies:

• SBAR:
• situation
• background
• assessment
• recommendation :
• Call-out
• used to communicate critical info to an entire emergency team 
• Checkback:
• closing the loop
• receiver accepts/confirms info
• Handoff: 
• transition of care 
• convey all pertinent info
• allow for period of time where person can ask questions

What is SBAR?

• Framework for team members to effectively communicate info to one another.
• Situation: whats going on with the patient?
• Background: what is the context?
• Assessment: what is the problem?
• Recommendation: what do i need from you?

Think-Pair-Share:

• Think about team.
• What are opportunities to improve communication?
• What strategies would you use to overcome communication breakdowns?

Primary Care Teams Should:

• Make sure patient's voice is being heard.
• Allow time for open/honest communication.
• Make the patient the center of the team.
• Make sure patients share fully in decision-making.
• Speak to patients in a way they can understand and enable them to feel empowered to be control of their care.

Equipping the Patient:

• Encourage patient to ask questions so pts can improve their care by taking an active role in the process.
• Inform them of questions they should ask the doctor.