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Communication Training

Background

“[A TDI] focused on listening and problem solving…[and how to] speak up, pay attention, and respond quickly” (Raley et al., 2017, p. 177).

Communication training aims to enhance team members' abilities to send and receive information clearly, resolve communication breakdowns, and foster a shared understanding.

Signs that a team could benefit from a team communication training include communication breakdowns, fragmented communication, lack of role clarity, poor teamwork, or a lack of effective delegation of duties.

Relevant Readings

  • Gillespie, B. M., Chaboyer, W., & Murray, P. (2010). Enhancing communication in surgery through team training interventions: A systematic literature review. AORN Journal, 92(6), 642–657. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aorn.2010.02.015
    • Gillespie, Chaboyer, and Murray's 2010 review finds that team training interventions in surgery generally improve communication and work practices. These interventions, designed for the specific context, enhance teamwork and cohesion, suggesting potential for increased patient safety. Further research on sustainability is needed.
  • Hathaway, J. R., Tarini, B. A., Banerjee, S., Smolkin, C. O., Koos, J. A., & Pati, S. (2023). Healthcare team communication training in the United States: A scoping review. Health Communication, 38(9), 1821–1846. https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2022.2036439
    • Hathaway et al. (2023) review U.S. interventions for healthcare team communication. They analyze 30 articles and find diverse training approaches with varied effectiveness. The authors note a lack of theoretical frameworks and recommend better measurement of communication outcomes for future research.
  • Raley, J., Meenakshi, R., Dent, D., Willis, R., Lawson, K., & Duzinski, S. (2017). The role of communication during trauma activations: Investigating the need for team and leader communication training. Journal of Surgical Education, 74(1), 173–179. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsurg.2016.06.001
    • Raley et al. (2017) highlight the critical need for communication training in trauma teams to reduce medical errors linked to miscommunication. Their research indicates that trauma team members believe such training is necessary and should focus on specific communication skills.
  • Roberts, N. K., Williams, R. G., Schwind, C. J., Sutyak, J. A., McDowell, C., Griffen, D., Wall, J., Sanfey, H., Chestnut, A., Meier, A. H., Wohltmann, C., Clark, T. R., & Wetter, N. (2014). The impact of brief team communication, leadership and team behavior training on ad hoc team performance in trauma care settings. The American Journal of Surgery, 207(2), 170–178. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjsurg.2013.06.016
    • Roberts et al. (2014) demonstrate that brief training improves communication and teamwork in ad hoc trauma teams. These positive changes in behavior are sustained after three weeks. The study indicates that short training exercises can enhance team performance in trauma care settings.