Systematic overview of reviews of instruments that evaluate teamwork in healthcare
Abstract
Healthcare professionals working in teams is necessary, since good teamwork among healthcare professionals has been found to improve patient outcomes and reduce burnout. Surveys provide a quick and efficient way to capture the various constructs of teamwork to understand team functioning, areas of strength, and the potential areas for improvement. However, not all surveys are useful as majority of them remain to be validated. In this research, a systematic overview of reviews is conducted to identify robust instruments that are frequently identified in the literature. The databases searched include MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and PsycINFO. After excluding duplicates and irrelevant articles, there were 15 articles that met the inclusion criteria for full assessment. Surveys appropriate for measuring teamwork in various healthcare settings were reported. It was determined there were seven surveys that were validated and most frequently identified in the literature. This overview provides a narrative for researchers and clinicians in deciding on instruments that is most appropriate for their goals and practice. More research is required to develop surveys that include involving patients as part of the healthcare team.