Qualitative Research: Specific designs for qualitative research in emergency care?
- Authors: Cooper, Simon J. , Chapman, Ysanne , Endacott, Ruth
- Date: 2009
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Emergency Medicine Journal Vol. 26, no. (2009), p. 773-776
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- Description: This article follows our description of generic qualitative approaches, focusing on the specific designs of ethnography, grounded theory and phenomenology. Distinguishing features are described, including methodological approaches and methods for enhancing rigour. The use of these designs in emergency care is unusual but informative, and important work has been produced. Whether used in a pure or applied manner, it is likely that such approaches will add to our understanding of the emergency world.
Measuring non-technical skills in medical emergency care: a review of assessment measures.
- Authors: Cooper, Simon J. , Endacott, Ruth , Cant, Robyn
- Date: 2010
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Open Access Emergency Medicine Vol. 2, no. (2010), p. 7-16
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- Description: Aim: To review the literature on non-technical skills and assessment methods relevant to emergency care. Background: Non-technical skills (NTS) include leadership, teamwork, decision making and situation awareness, all of which have an impact on healthcare outcomes. Significant concerns have been raised about the rates of adverse medical events, many of which are attributed to NTS failures. Methods: Ovid, Medline, ProQUEST, PsycINFO and specialty websites were searched for NTS measures using applicable access strategies, inclusion and exclusion criteria. Publications identified were assessed for relevance. Results: A range of non-technical skill measures relevant to emergency care was identified: leadership (n = 5), teamwork (n = 7), personality/behavior (n = 3) and situation awareness tools (n = 1). Of these, 9 have been used with emergency care populations/clinicians. All had varying degrees of reliability and validity. In the last decade there has been some development of teamwork measures specific to emergency care with a predominantly global and collective rating of broad skills. Conclusion: A variety of non-technical skill measures are available; only a few have been used in the emergency care arena. There is a need for an increase in the focused assessment of teamwork skills for a greater understanding of team performance to enhance patient safety in medical emergency care.
Mixed methods research: a design for emergency care research?
- Authors: Cooper, Simon J. , Porter, Joanne , Endacott, Ruth
- Date: 2010
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Emergency Medicine Journal Vol. 28, no. (2010), p. 682-685
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- Description: This paper follows previous publications on generic qualitative approaches, qualitative designs and action research in emergency care by this group of authors. Contemporary views on mixed methods approaches are considered, with a particular focus on the design choice and the amalgamation of qualitative and quantitative data emphasising the timing of data collection for each approach, their relative ‘weight’ and how they will be mixed. Mixed methods studies in emergency care are reviewed before the variety of methodological approaches and best practice considerations are presented. The use of mixed methods in clinical studies is increasing, aiming to answer questions such as ‘how many’ and ‘why’ in the same study, and as such are an important and useful approach to many key questions in emergency care.
Communication challenges in surgical oncology
- Authors: Nestel, Debra , Cooper, Simon J. , Bryant, Melanie , Higgins, Vaughan , Tabak, Diana. , Murtagh, G. , Barraclough, B
- Date: 2011
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Surgical Oncology Vol. 20, no. 3 (2011), p. 155-161
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- Description: In this essay we set out clinical communication challenges in surgical oncology. We draw directly on relevant examples where they are available. Otherwise, we refer to the more generic surgical and medical literature. We offer 'macro' and 'micro' perspectives on clinical communication. That is, exploring communication challenges at the level of the organization and between individuals, doctors and patients and interprofessionally across different settings. Training content and methods are reported that address the complex communication challenges associated with surgical oncology. Innovations in simulation-based education offer exciting new opportunities for formative and summative assessment. We outline limitations of the essay and finally propose the content of a surgical oncology communication program.
Managing deteriorating patients: Registered nurses' performance in a simulated setting
- Authors: Cooper, Simon J. , McConnell-Henry, Tracy , Cant, Robyn , Porter, Joanne , Missen, Karen , Kinsman, Leigh , Endacott, Ruth , Scholes, Julie
- Date: 2011
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: The Open Nursing Journal Vol. 5, no. (2011), p. 120-126
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- Description: Aim: To examine, in a simulated environment, rural nurses’ ability to assess and manage patient deterioration using measures of knowledge, situation awareness and skill performance. Background: Nurses’ ability to manage deterioration and ‘failure to rescue’ are of significant concern with questions over knowledge and clinical skills. Simulated emergencies may help to identify and develop core skills. Methods: An exploratory quantitative performance review. Thirty five nurses from a single ward completed a knowledge questionnaire and two video recorded simulated scenarios in a rural hospital setting. Patient actors simulated deteriorating patients with an Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI) and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) as the primary diagnosis. How aware individuals were of the situation (levels of situation awareness) were measured at the end of each scenario. Results: Knowledge of deterioration management varied considerably (range: 27%-91%) with a mean score of 67%. Average situation awareness scores and skill scores across the two scenarios (AMI and COPD) were low (50%) with many important observations and actions missed. Participants did identify that ‘patients’ were deteriorating but as each patient deteriorated staff performance declined with a reduction in all observational records and actions. In many cases, performance decrements appeared to be related to high anxiety levels. Participants tended to focus on single signs and symptoms and failed to use a systematic approach to patient assessment. Conclusion: Knowledge and skills were generally low in this rural hospital sample with notable performance decrements as patients acutely declined. Educational models that incorporate high fidelity simulation and feedback techniques are likely to have a significant positive impact on performance.
Can eye-tracking technology improve situational awareness in paramedic clinical education?
- Authors: Williams, Brett , Quested, Andrew , Cooper, Simon J.
- Date: 2013
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Open Access Emergency Medicine Vol. 5, no. (2013), p. 23-28
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- Description: Human factors play a significant part in clinical error. Situational awareness (SA) means being aware of one's surroundings, comprehending the present situation, and being able to predict outcomes. It is a key human skill that, when properly applied, is associated with reducing medical error: eye-tracking technology can be used to provide an objective and qualitative measure of the initial perception component of SA. Feedback from eye-tracking technology can be used to improve the understanding and teaching of SA in clinical contexts, and consequently, has potential for reducing clinician error and the concomitant adverse events.
Managing patient deterioration: assessing teamwork and individual performance
- Authors: Cooper, Simon J. , Cant, Robyn , Porter, Joanne , Missen, Karen , Sparkes, Louise , McConnell-Henry, Tracy , Endacott, Ruth
- Date: 2013
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Emergency Medicine Journal Vol. 30, no. 5 (2013), p.
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- Description: Objective To assess the ability of rural Australian nurse teams to manage deteriorating patients. Methods This quasi-experimental design used pre- and post-intervention assessments and observation to evaluate nurses' simulated clinical performance. Registered nurses (n=44) from two hospital wards completed a formative knowledge assessment and three team-based video recorded scenarios (Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCE)). Trained patient actors simulated deteriorating patients. Skill performance and situation awareness were measured and team performance was rated using the Team Emergency Assessment Measure. Results Knowledge in relation to patient deterioration management varied (mean 63%, range 27–100%) with a median score of 64%. Younger nurses with a greater number of working hours scored the highest (p=0.001). OSCE performance was generally low with a mean performance of 54%, but performance was maintained despite the increasing complexity of the scenarios. Situation awareness was generally low (median 50%, mean 47%, range 17–83%, SD 14.03) with significantly higher levels in younger participants (r=−0.346, p=0.021). Teamwork ratings averaged 57% with significant associations between the subscales (Leadership, Teamwork and Task Management) (p<0.006), the global rating scale (p<0.001) and two of the OSCE measures (p<0.049). Feedback from participants following the programme indicated significant improvements in knowledge, confidence and competence (p<0.001). Conclusion Despite a satisfactory knowledge base, the application of knowledge was low with notable performance deficits in these demanding and stressful situations. The identification and management of patient deterioration needs to be taught in professional development programmes incorporating high fidelity simulation techniques. The Team Emergency assessment tool proved to be a valid measure of team performance in patient deterioration scenarios.
Measuring situation awareness in emergency settings: a systematic review of tools and outcomes
- Authors: Cooper, Simon J. , Porter, Joanne , Peach, Linda
- Date: 2013
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Open Access Emergency Medicine Vol. 6, no. (2013), p. 1-7
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- Description: Background: Nontechnical skills have an impact on health care outcomes and improve patient safety. Situation awareness is core with the view that an understanding of the environment will influence decision-making and performance. This paper reviews and describes indirect and direct measures of situation awareness applicable for emergency settings. Methods: Electronic databases and search engines were searched from 1980 to 2010, including CINAHL, Ovid Medline, Pro-Quest, Cochrane, and the search engine, Google Scholar. Access strategies included keyword, author, and journal searches. Publications identified were assessed for relevance, and analyzed and synthesized using Oxford evidence levels and the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme guidelines in order to assess their quality and rigor. Results: One hundred and thirteen papers were initially identified, and reduced to 55 following title and abstract review. The final selection included 14 papers drawn from the fields of emergency medicine, intensive care, anesthetics, and surgery. Ten of these discussed four general nontechnical skill measures (including situation awareness) and four incorporated the Situation Awareness Global Assessment Technique. Conclusion: A range of direct and indirect techniques for measuring situation awareness is available. In the medical literature, indirect approaches are the most common, with situation awareness measured as part of a nontechnical skills assessment. In simulation-based studies, situation awareness in emergencies tends to be suboptimal, indicating the need for improved training techniques to enhance awareness and improve decision-making.
Measuring the non-technical skills of medical emergency teams: an update on validity and reliability of Team Emergency Assessment Measure (Team).
- Authors: Cant, Robyn , Cooper, Simon J.
- Date: 2014
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Resuscitation Vol. 85, no. (2014), p. 31-33
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- Description: Medical emergency team performance including non-technical skills, is receiving increased attention due to the influences on patient safety. The Team Emergency Assessment Measure View the MathML source was developed to enable standardized performance assessment and structured team debriefing. From several studies, the View the MathML source has demonstrated a substantial body of normative data confirming its validity and reliability. This includes high uni-dimensional validity, significant subscale relationships between Teamwork and Leadership and between Teamwork and Task Management (p < 0.001), a Cronbach alpha of 0.92 and adequate construct validity. The tool has potential for team training to improve team's non-technical performance. Further testing is required in ‘real’ clinical settings.
Improving the non-technical skills of hospital medical emergency teams : The Team Emergency Assessment Measure (TEAM™)
- Authors: Cant, Robyn , Porter, Joanne , Cooper, Simon J. , Roberts, Kate , Wilson, Ian , Gartside, Christopher
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: EMA - Emergency Medicine Australasia Vol. 28, no. 6 (2016), p. 641-646
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- Description: Objectives: This prospective descriptive study aimed to test the validity and feasibility of the Team Emergency Assessment Measure (TEAM™) for assessing real-world medical emergency teams' non-technical skills. Second, the present study aimed to explore the instrument's contribution to practice regarding teamwork and learning outcomes. Methods: Registered nurses (RNs) and medical staff (n = 104) in two hospital EDs in rural Victoria, Australia, participated. Over a 10 month period, the (TEAM™) instrument was completed by multiple clinicians at medical emergency episodes. Results: In 80 real-world medical emergency team resuscitation episodes (283 clinician assessments), non-technical skills ratings averaged 89% per episode (39 of a possible 44 points). Twenty-one episodes were rated in the lowest quartile (i.e. ≤37 points out of 44). Ratings differed by discipline, with significantly higher scores given by medical raters (mean: 41.1 ± 4.4) than RNs (38.7 ± 5.4) (P = 0.001). This difference occurred in the Leadership domain. The tool was reliable with Cronbach's alpha 0.78, high uni-dimensional validity and mean inter-item correlation of 0.45. Concurrent validity was confirmed by strong correlation between TEAM™ score and the awarded Global Rating (P < 0.001), with 38.4% of shared variance. RNs praised the instrument as it initiated staff reflection and debriefing discussions around performance improvement. Conclusion: Non-technical skills of medical emergency teams are known to often be suboptimal; however, average ratings of 89% were achieved in this real-world study. TEAM™ is a valid, reliable and easy to use tool, for both training and clinical settings, with benefits for team performance when used as an assessment and/or debriefing tool. © 2016 Australasian College for Emergency Medicine and Australasian Society for Emergency Medicine
Measuring teamwork performance: Validity testing of the Team Emergency Assessment Measure (TEAM) with clinical resuscitation teams
- Authors: Cooper, Simon J. , Cant, Robyn , Connell, Cliff , Sims, Lyndall , Porter, Joanne , Symmons, Mark , Nestel, Debra , Liaw, Sok Ying
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Resuscitation Vol. 101, no. (2016), p. 97-101
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- Description: AimTo test the resuscitation non-technical Team Emergency Assessment Measure (TEAM) for feasibility, validity and reliability, in two Australian Emergency Departments (ED). BackgroundNon-technical (teamwork) skills have been identified as inadequate and as such have a significant impact on patient safety. Valid and reliable teamwork assessment tools are an important element of performance assessment and debriefing processes. MethodsA quasi experimental design based on observational ratings of resuscitation non-technical skills in two metropolitan ED. Senior nursing staff rated 106 adult resuscitation team events over a ten month period where three or more resuscitation team members attended. Resuscitation events, team performance and validity and reliability data was collected for the TEAM. ResultsMost rated events were for full cardiac resuscitation (43%) with 3–15 team members present for an average of 45min. The TEAM was found to be feasible and quickly completed with minimal or no training. Discriminant validity was good as was internal consistency with a Cronbach alpha of 0.94. Uni-dimensional and concurrent validity also reached acceptable standards, 0.94 and >0.63 (p=<0.001), respectively, and a single ‘teamwork’ construct was identified. Non-technical skills overall were good but leadership was rated notably lower than task and teamwork performance indicating a need for leadership training. ConclusionThe TEAM is a feasible, valid and reliable non-technical assessment measure in simulated and real clinical settings. Emergency teams need to develop leadership skills through training and reflective debriefing.
Team Emergency Assessment Measure (TEAM) for the assessment of non-technical skills during resuscitation : Validation of the french version
- Authors: Maignan, Maxime , Koch, Francois-Xavier , Chaix, Jordane , Phellouzat, Pierre , Binauld, Gery , Collomb Muret, Roselyne , Cooper, Simon J. , Labarère, José , Danel, Vincent , Viglino, Damien , Debaty, Guillaume
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Resuscitation Vol. 101, no. (2016), p. 115-120
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- Description: Aim: Evaluation of team performances during medical simulation must rely on validated and reproducible tools. Our aim was to build and validate a French version of the Team Emergency Assessment Measure (TEAM) score, which was developed for the assessment of team performance and non-technical skills during resuscitation. Methods: A forward and backward translation of the initial TEAM score was made, with the agreement and the final validation by the original author. Ten medical teams were recruited and performed a standardized cardiac arrest simulation scenario. Teams were videotaped and nine raters evaluate non-technical skills for each team thanks to the French TEAM Score. Psychometric properties of the score were then evaluated. Results: French TEAM score showed an excellent reliability with a Cronbach coefficient of 0.95. Mean correlation coefficient between each item and the global score range was 0.78. The inter-rater reliability measured by intraclass correlation coefficient of the global score was 0.93. Finally, expert teams had higher French TEAM score than intermediate and novice teams. Conclusion: The French TEAM score shows good psychometric properties to evaluate team performance during cardiac arrest simulation. Its utilization could help in the assessment of non-technical skills during simulation. © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd.
Clinical deterioration of ward patients in the presence of antecedents : A systematic review and narrative synthesis
- Authors: Al-Moteri, Modi , Plummer, Virginia , Cooper, Simon J. , Symmons, Mark
- Date: 2019
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: Australian Critical Care Vol. 32, no. 5 (2019), p. 411-420
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- Description: Aim: The aim of this review was to identify and synthesise published accounts of recognising and responding to patient deterioration in the presence of deterioration antecedents. Design: The systematic review canvassed four electronic databases/ search engines for studies of adult ward patients who had altered physiological parameters before developing major adverse events. Synthesis Methods: The findings were synthesised using a narrative approach. Results: Clinical deterioration can be missed by nurses, even with adequate charting. Delays in recognising and responding to patient deterioration remains an international patient safety concern, and strategies to enhance recognition of patient deterioration have not achieved consistent improvements. The lack of significant and sustained improvement through targeted training suggests the problem may be rooted in human behaviour and local ward culture. Nurses play a pivotal role in recognising and responding to patient deterioration; however, patient records do not facilitate tracking of all nurse decisions and actions, and any undocumented care cannot be easily captured by auditing processes. Conclusion: Failure to recognise clinical deterioration was evident even with adequate charting. It is not clear if nurses do not recognise clinical deterioration because they failed to interpret the signs of deterioration or they made a conscious decision not to escalate based on their clinical judgement or they lacked attention at the time of the event. Whatever the reason, focus is warranted for nurses' decisionmaking after the recording of clinical deterioration signs and the role of human factors in delayed recognition, before maximum benefit of any strategy can be achieved.
Nurses' cognitive and perceptual bias in the identification of clinical deterioration cues
- Authors: Al-Moteri, Modi , Cooper, Simon J. , Symmons, Mark , Plummer, Virginia
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Australian Critical Care Vol. 33, no. 4 (2020), p. 333-342
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- Description: Background: Perception and processing of clinical cues have rarely been investigated in the nursing literature despite their relevance to the early identification and management of clinical deterioration. Aim: This study used a hypovolemic shock scenario from the Feedback Incorporating Review and Simulation Techniques to Act on Clinical Trends (FIRST2ACT) virtual simulation program, equipped with an eye tracker, to investigate cue processing during the management of patient deterioration. Result: The study revealed that attention deviation distorted interpretation of subsequent cues, causing 63% of participants to exhibit a cognitive bias (heightened sensitivity to specific but noncritical cues) and 65% to exhibit at least one episode of nonfixation on clinically relevant cues. Attention deviation and distorted interpretations of clinical cues will have an impact on patient safety. Conclusion: The findings are likely to have important implications for understanding error and associated training implications. © 2019 Australian College of Critical Care Nurses Ltd
The TEAM instrument for measuring emergency team performance: validation of the Swedish version at two emergency departments
- Authors: Karlgren, Klas , Dahlström, Anders , Birkestam, Anderz , Norling, Annelie , Forss, Gustav , Cooper, Simon J.
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Scandinavian Journal of Trauma, Resuscitation and Emergency Medicine Vol. 29, no. 1 (2021), p.
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- Description: Background: The Team Emergency Assessment Measure (TEAM) questionnaire is designed for rating the non-technical performance of emergency medical teams during emergencies, e.g., resuscitation or trauma management. Originally developed in Australia it has today been translated and validated into eleven languages, but a Swedish version is lacking. The aim was therefore to cross-culturally translate and evaluate the reliability and validity of the TEAM questionnaire in a Swedish health care setting. Methods: The instrument was forward and backward translated and adapted into a Swedish context according to established guidelines for cross-cultural adaptation of survey-based measures. The translated version was tested through 78 pairwise assessments of 39 high-priority codes at the emergency departments of two major hospitals. The raters observed the teams at work in real time and filled in the questionnaires immediately afterwards independently of each other. Psychometric properties of the instrument were evaluated. Results: The original instrument was translated by pairs of translators independently of each other and reviewed by an expert committee of researchers, nurses and physicians from different specialties, a linguist and one of the original developers of the tool. A few adaptations were needed for the Swedish context. A principal component factor analysis confirmed a single ‘teamwork’ construct in line with the original instrument. The Swedish version showed excellent reliability with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.955 and a mean inter-item correlation of 0.691. The mean item-scale correlation of 0.82 indicated high internal consistency reliability. Inter-rater reliability was measured by intraclass correlation and was 0.74 for the global score indicating good reliability. Individual items ranged between 0.52 and 0.88. No floor effects but ceiling effects were noted. Finally, teams displaying clear closed-loop communication had higher TEAM scores than teams with less clear communication. Conclusions: Real time observations of authentic, high priority cases at two emergency departments show that the Swedish version of the TEAM instrument has good psychometric properties for evaluating team performance. The TEAM instrument is thus a welcome tool for assessing non-technical skills of emergency medical teams. © 2021, The Author(s). **Please note that there are multiple authors for this article therefore only the name of the first 5 including Federation University Australia affiliate “Simon Cooper" is provided in this record**