TeamSTEPPS is a teamwork system that offers a powerful solution to improving collaboration and communication within your institution.

Teamwork has been found to be one of the key initiatives within patient safety that can transform the culture within health care. Patient safety experts agree that communication and other teamwork skills are essential to the delivery of quality health care and to preventing and mitigating medical errors and patient injury and harm.

Developed by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the U.S. Department of Defence, TeamSTEPPS is an evidence-based framework that will optimize team performance across the health care delivery system. It is based on team structure and four learnable skills: communication, leading teams, situation monitoring and mutual support. The team structure includes everyone in the patient care team: patients, families, direct caregivers and all individuals who play a supportive role.

Team Competency Outcomes

Knowledge – Shared Mental Model
Attitudes – Mutual Trust, Team Orientation
Performance – Adaptability, Accuracy, Productivity, Efficiency & Safety

Key Principles

Team Structure

Identification of the components of a multiteam system that must work together effectively to ensure patient safety.

Communication

Structured process by which information is clearly and accurately exchanged among team members.

Leading Teams

Ability to maximize the activities of team members by ensuring that team actions are understood, changes in information are shared and team members have the necessary resources.

Situation Monitoring

Process of actively scanning and assessing situation elements to gain information or understanding, or to maintain awareness to support team functioning.

Mutual Support

Ability to anticipate and support team members’ needs through accurate knowledge about their responsibilities and workload.

TeamSTEPPS Curriculum

A free version of the TeamSTEPPS curriculum is available from AHRQ. The curriculum includes materials for TeamSTEPPS 2.0, as well as versions of TeamSTEPPS developed for more specific health care environments, such as office-based care, long-term care and dental care, among other options.

MHA Staff

A number of MHA staff have been awarded TeamSTEPPS master trainer status and are available to visit and further discuss this innovative program. Contact MHA to learn more.