Event Title
Problem Solving in Interdisciplinary Teams: A Pilot Study with Medical and Business Students
Start Date
5-10-2011 9:30 AM
End Date
5-10-2011 9:35 AM
Abstract
Background: Utilizing teams to solve problems in different organizational environments has become progressively more common. With increased use of business principles in hospital settings along with increased interaction between medical and business professionals in hospital decision‐making, there is a need to better understand these interdisciplinary team interactions. To date, there has been no research exploring how medical and business professionals work in groups to solve problems, and little is known about how best to prepare trainees to perform in such situations.
Study purpose and methods: We propose to explore problem solving behaviour in an interdisciplinary team setting using a mixed methods design. We will use validated teamwork instruments and non‐participant observation of groups of undergraduate medical trainees and Master’s of Business Administration students as they work together on a timesensitive, simulated vignette.
Each group will have 5 participants. Groups will be confronted with the following problem: should the hospital approve the use of a new, experimental, chemotherapeutic drug on a patient currently undergoing a Whipple’s procedure to remove a malignant pancreas? The group will need to review pharmaceutical and economic details related to the use of this drug as well as personal and medical information regarding the patient and, based on this information, come to a consensus as to whether the use of this drug is appropriate. Following their decision, group members will participate in a semi‐structured debriefing session regarding their problem‐solving process.
This presentation will describe the research design of this in‐progress study, the simulated vignette, and the plans for analysis.
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Problem Solving in Interdisciplinary Teams: A Pilot Study with Medical and Business Students
Background: Utilizing teams to solve problems in different organizational environments has become progressively more common. With increased use of business principles in hospital settings along with increased interaction between medical and business professionals in hospital decision‐making, there is a need to better understand these interdisciplinary team interactions. To date, there has been no research exploring how medical and business professionals work in groups to solve problems, and little is known about how best to prepare trainees to perform in such situations.
Study purpose and methods: We propose to explore problem solving behaviour in an interdisciplinary team setting using a mixed methods design. We will use validated teamwork instruments and non‐participant observation of groups of undergraduate medical trainees and Master’s of Business Administration students as they work together on a timesensitive, simulated vignette.
Each group will have 5 participants. Groups will be confronted with the following problem: should the hospital approve the use of a new, experimental, chemotherapeutic drug on a patient currently undergoing a Whipple’s procedure to remove a malignant pancreas? The group will need to review pharmaceutical and economic details related to the use of this drug as well as personal and medical information regarding the patient and, based on this information, come to a consensus as to whether the use of this drug is appropriate. Following their decision, group members will participate in a semi‐structured debriefing session regarding their problem‐solving process.
This presentation will describe the research design of this in‐progress study, the simulated vignette, and the plans for analysis.