Juliane E. Kämmer, Stefanie C. Hautz, Sandra Abegglen, Thomas C. Sauter, & Wolf E. Hautz
A correct diagnosis is the basis for good patient care. Diagnostic errors contribute substantially to (preventable) medical mistakes. Contexts like the emergency room are particularly vulnerable with up to 35% diagnostic errors. Diagnostic errors have a variety of causes, with poor teamwork and communication among the healthcare team, patients, and their families being one of them. The National Academy of Sciences (2015) has only recently pointed to more effective teamwork being a key factor for reducing diagnostic errors. In our research, we focus on better understanding the micro-level foundations that render teamwork effective. In a prospective randomized study involving real emergency teams who diagnose different “patients” in a simulator setting, we aim to identify interaction patterns that help emergency teams find the correct diagnosis. We investigate which impact the complexity of the task has on necessary coordination behaviors and which factors render a team more likely to adapt their behaviors to these task requirements. Our findings will contribute to the knowledge base, on which training material for healthcare staff may be developed that may help improve patient safety in the emergency room in the long run.
