Understanding Patient Care as a Multiteam System

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this chapter is to highlight some of the critical multiteam system (MTS) issues that are faced in healthcare by utilizing case studies that illustrate the transition of a patient through the healthcare system and suggest a possible approach to studying these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach taken by the authors is a case study approach, which is used to illustrate the transition of a patient through several venues in a healthcare system. This approach elucidates the MTS nature of healthcare. Moreover, a methodological explanation, social network analysis (SNA), for exploring the description and analysis of MTSs in healthcare is provided.

Findings

The case study approach provides concrete examples of the complex relationship between providers caring for a single patient. The case study describes the range of shared practice in healthcare, from collaborative care within each setting to the less obvious interdependence between teams across settings. This interdependence is necessary to deliver complex care but is also a source of potential errors during care. SNA is one tool to quantify these relationships, link them to outcomes, and establish areas for future research and quality improvement efforts.

Originality/value

This chapter offers a unique holistic view of the transition of a patient through a healthcare system and the interdependency of care necessary to deliver care. The authors show a methodology for assessing MTSs with a discussion of utilizing SNA. This foundation may offer promise to better understand care delivery and shape programs that can lead to improvement in care.

Citation

DiazGranados, D., Dow, A.W., Perry, S.J. and Palesis, J.A. (2014), "Understanding Patient Care as a Multiteam System", Pushing the Boundaries: Multiteam Systems in Research and Practice (Research on Managing Groups and Teams, Vol. 16), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 95-113. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1534-085620140000016004