Components of Successful Teamwork
Components of Successful Teamwork
Open communication
Nonpunitive environment
Clear direction
Respectful atmosphere
Practice Implications
Kaiser Permanente. The SBAR technique provides a framework for communication between
members of the health care team about a patients condition. SBAR is an easy-to-remember tool
used to create mechanisms useful for framing any conversation, especially critical ones,
requiring a clinicians immediate attention and action. It allows for an easy and focused way to
set expectations between members of the team for what will be communicated and how, which is
essential for information transfer and cohesive teamwork. Not only is there familiarity in how
people communicate, but the SBAR structure helps develop desired critical-thinking skills. The
person initiating the communication knows that before they pick up the telephone, they need to
provide an assessment of the problem and what they think an appropriate solution is. Their
conclusion may not ultimately be the answer, but there is clearly value in defining the situation.
Conclusions
Effective clinical practice must not focus only on technological system issues, but also on the
human factor. good communication encourages collaboration and helps prevent errors. It is
important for health care organizations to assess possible setups for poor communication and be
diligent about offering programs and outlets to help foster team collaboration. By addressing this
issue, health care organizations have an opportunity to greatly enhance their clinical outcomes.