Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the efficacy of an interdisciplinary intervention on interdisciplinary teamwork and patient functional outcomes in an acute inpatient rehabilitation unit at a mid-sized regional hospital. Design: Pilot mixed-methods pre-post intervention study. Methods: Interdisciplinary teamwork and patient functional outcomes were measured before and after a teamwork intervention. Interdisciplinary teamwork was measured with the Healthcare Team Vitality Instrument (HTVI) and a qualitative staff questionnaire developed by a content expert. Patient functional outcomes were measured by aggregated Functional Independence Measure (FIM®) scores. Findings: Post-intervention FIM® gain scores increased significantly (p = .008). Staff questionnaire revealed improvement in interdisciplinary teamwork, with the major themes of teamwork and appreciation/respect. Post-intervention HTVI showed no significant change (p=.528). Conclusions: Initial results of this intervention are promising; additional research is needed to study the effectiveness of this intervention in a variety of acute rehabilitation settings. Clinical Relevance: Rehabilitation leaders can implement low-cost teamwork interventions to improve interdisciplinary teamwork and patient outcomes.

Degree

College and Department

Nursing; Nursing

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