The imperative in health care is to deliver greater value—better quality at lower cost
Improvements in healthcare work processes have mostly focused on lean strategies and information technology. These efforts have fallen short of their potential because these re-engineering strategies have not given enough attention to redesigning how teams work together. As Baker, Suchman and Rawlins argued:
“Despite a vast amount of knowledge about the technical methods of improving quality and safety in health care, rates of success have been highly variable within and across organizations. In our work with many health care leaders and organizations, our observation has been that relational rather than technical issues are the most common barriers to improvement.”
In the complex world of healthcare delivery, specialization and the division of labor are needed. However, there is a great risk of fragmentation, error and wasted effort when interdependencies between tasks – and the staff who are assigned to carry them out – are not managed well.
Improved teamwork has now become a goal of system redesign
In fact, the 2012 Institute of Medicine report “Best Care at Lower Cost” concluded that a “culture of teamwork” is fundamental to the coordination of care among staff members and providers over time. Team members benefit from having strong relationships based on shared goals, shared knowledge and mutual respect. As health delivery systems around the world move from their focus from specific services to population health, teamwork will become even more essential for their success.