Lumetra Healthcare Solutions

For several years, Lumetra has promoted the teamwork training system, TeamSTEPPS, as a powerful solution for improving patient safety within healthcare organizations. It was developed by the Department of Defense’s Patient Safety Program in collaboration with the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).

TeamSTEPPS is an evidence-based system designed to improve communication and teamwork skills among healthcare professionals and includes ready-to-use materials and a training curriculum to successfully integrate teamwork principles into all areas of your organization.

Since the development of the program, AHRQ has endeavored to introduce the training to hospital systems and other healthcare organizations across the country and overseas as well. Organizations as diverse as the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation, University of North Carolina Health Care, a Critical Access Hospital in Nebraska (Butler County Health Care Center), Georgia’s Quality Improvement Organization, and the South Australia Department of Health have undergone TeamSTEPPS training and have reported their success in a series of implementation stories on the AHRQ TeamSTEPPS Web site.

UNC Health Care originally implemented TeamSTEPPS in three areas: Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU), Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), and the Respiratory Therapy Department.  When news of their success spread throughout the system, five other areas requested training.

Butler County Health Care Center wanted to reduce medical errors and create a more cohesive team environment. TeamSTEPPS training was identified as a way to help the hospital overcome communication barriers and improve workplace culture.

Women’s and Children’s Hospital (WCH) of the South Australia Department of Health decided to try out TeamSTEPPS training after recognizing that communication errors could occur as patients were transferred from day-of-surgery admission through anesthesia, recovery, and the short-stay unit. With TeamSTEPPS training, they found that “nursing overtime was reduced as staff became more efficient in handover.”

For information on TeamSTEPPS training, including readiness assessment, training eligibility, tools and materials, and information on Web conferences, go the TeamSTEPPS Web site or contact Lumetra.