TeamSTEPPS: Strategies and Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety.
Effective teamwork plays an essential role in providing safe patient care. The Team Strategies and Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety (TeamSTEPPS) program was developed in collaboration by the United States Department of Defense and AHRQ in order to support effective communication and teamwork in health care. This updated version of the widely implemented program provides new tools to measure its impact, supports increased emphasis on the role of effective communication in team training, and includes a new course management guide. Teamwork training programs have been shown to improve knowledge and attitudes, but have received mixed reviews on their effectiveness in changing behaviors. An AHRQ WebM&M commentary discussed how improved teamwork and shared decision-making might have prevented the unnecessary placement of a peripherally inserted central catheter that led to significant complications.