Lightning Talk

Project Teamness: Examining Interprofessional Teamwork at a Federally Qualified Health Center

Tuesday, September 24, 2024, 2:30 pm - 3:30 pm CDT
Some experience with IPE
teamspracticeoutcomes

Teamness, once synonymous with the effectiveness or functionality of a team, evolved to define effective, interprofessional teamwork with specific components such as shared goals, mutual trust, and clear roles. Team-based care is vital in quality patient care, closely aligned with the quadruple aim: enhancing patient experience, improving population health, increasing value, and improving the wellness of the healthcare team. However, while teamness had been studied in various settings, no literature examined this construct in federally qualified health centers (FQHCs), which often face significant employee turnover.


This study aimed to measure teamness in a multi-site FQHC to understand its correlation with employee burnout, job satisfaction, patient satisfaction, and clinical outcomes. By building the evidence base for interprofessional practice and education, this research contributed to understanding how interprofessional teamwork impacts healthcare delivery and outcomes.


This cross-sectional study assessed employee perceptions of teamness through a voluntary, anonymous survey distributed to patient-facing staff between August 21, 2023, and November 6, 2023. The 30-question paper survey included a validated tool, the Assessment for Collaborative Environments (ACE-15), along with questions on job satisfaction, burnout, and demographics. Data analysis included descriptive and inferential statistics, examining associations between teamness and various outcomes. Out of 189 distributed surveys, 160 were returned, resulting in an 84.7% response rate. The study aimed to inform quality improvement projects by summarizing employee perceptions of teamwork and identifying team attributes that lead to better outcomes. These findings can be shared nationally to improve workforce wellbeing, retention, and overall healthcare quality.


This study aimed to build an evidence base for interprofessional practice and education by investigating teamness in FQHCs. Its findings contribute to understanding how interprofessional teamwork influences healthcare delivery, directly addressing the quadruple aim. The study's implications extend to improving healthcare quality on a national scale.


The lightning talk will discuss surveying teamness in healthcare settings and how this project informed meaningful changes at the employee, health center, and organizational levels. By sharing insights, it aims to guide other healthcare organizations in enhancing team-based care and achieving the Quadruple Aim.

Accreditation Details

In support of improving patient care, this activity is planned and implemented by The National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education Office of Interprofessional Continuing Professional Development (National Center OICPD). The National Center OICPD is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

As a Jointly Accredited Provider, the National Center is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved under this program. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. The National Center maintains responsibility for this course. Social workers completing this course receive continuing education credits.

The National Center OICPD (JA#: 4008105) is approved by the Board of Certification, Inc. to provide continuing education to Athletic Trainers (ATs).

This activity was planned by and for the healthcare team, and learners will receive Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) credit for learning and change.

Text reads "Office of Interprofessional Continuing Professional Development" and shown are logos for the National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education,
                    the University of Minnesota School of Nursing, and the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy.
 

Physicians: The National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education designates this live activity for AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with their participation.

Physician Assistants: The American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) accepts credit from organizations accredited by the ACCME.

Nurses: Participants will be awarded contact hours of credit for attendance at this workshop.

Nurse Practitioners: The American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Program (AANPCP) accepts credit from organizations accredited by the ACCME and ANCC.

Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians: This activity is approved for contact hours.

Athletic Trainers: This program is eligible for Category A hours/CEUs. ATs should claim only those hours actually spent in the educational program.

Social Workers: As a Jointly Accredited Organization, the National Center is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved under this program. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. The National Center maintains responsibility for this course. Social workers completing this course receive continuing education credits.

IPCE: This activity was planned by and for the healthcare team, and learners will receive Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) credits for learning and change.

Learners can claim CE credit by completing the Daily Evaluation.