Teamwork in healthcare entails a number of different health professionals, as well as the patient, working together to enable effective communication. Many problems can arise when working in the health profession and to eliminate the risk working in teams helps to avoid:
- Clients/Patients ‘falling in the gaps’; some may benefit from up to 2 different health services, but can ‘fall in the gap’ and not receive any services.
- Wasteful overlap; inefficient use of resources occurs when clients/patients are receiving 2 or more services.
- Pulling in different directions; those receiving 2 or more services that may be competing with one another may have different goals/objectives.
- (Thompson, 2009)
Though a variety of problems can arise, working in teams is useful in:
- Providing comprehensive treatment of the key issues
- Solving problems
- Sharing expertise
- Instigating systemic change
- Maintaining accountability
- Developing new skills in novice professionals
Working in a team helps to prioritise certain aspects of a clients healthcare. By working alongside other health professionals, it makes it less difficult to solve client problems, and the sharing of expertise helps to develop new skills.
The World Health Organisation(2014) stated that “Effective teams can improve care at the level of the organisation, the team itself as a whole, the individual team member and the patient”
Communication in Paramedicine 