Conceptualizing a Quantitative Measurement Suite to Evaluate Healthcare Teams

Background Current team assessment instruments in healthcare tend to involve rater-based evaluations that are susceptible to well-known biases. Recent advances in technology include portable devices to measure team-based activities. Consequently, the possibility exists to move away from rater-based assessments of team function by identifying quantitative measures to replace them. Aim This article aims to provide potential approaches to developing quantitative measurement suites involving large amounts of data to address the challenges of assessment presented by the complex nature of teamwork. Conclusion By addressing construct, measurement, and context components, we provide a practical approach to developing a suite to capture quantitative measurements that, through incorporation of social network analysis and aggregated other values, aligns with the Team Strategies & Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient SafetyTM (TeamSTEPPSTM) dimensions for fostering teamwork.

Arabic Computer Syllabus Model Based On 21-st Century Skills

Globalization and the acceleration of technology in the 21st century create a new paradigm in education. Teachers are not only required to transfer knowledge but also to equip their students with various 21st-century skills. This study aims to produce a syllabus for Arabic Computer courses based on 21st-century skills at the Arabic Language Education Study Program, Faculty of Language and Arts, State University of Jakarta. This development research uses the Successive Approximation Models 1 (SAM1) model, combined with the Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka syllabus model. This study used data collection methods through questionnaires for expert team assessment and interviews for one-on-one trials. Data analysis used the Guttman scale, namely a score of 1 for the answer "Yes" and 0 for "No." Based on the assessment results of a team of experts and supporting lecturers, the syllabus developed was considered very good and following the principles of developing 21st-century skills.

Difficulties in Addressing Artificial Hydration and Nutrition Therapy for Terminal Cancer Patients: What to do if Patients/Families’ Wishes Differ From the Medically Appropriate Treatment Plans?

Purpose: Artificial hydration and nutrition therapy (AHNT) initiated by patients/families sometimes differs from medically appropriate treatment plans. We aimed to identify the causes of these differences and examine the ensuing responses and outcomes. Methods: Of 133 adult cancer patients receiving end-of-life care in the last 2 years, these discrepancies occurred in 41 patients. We retrospectively examined the following issues: (1) The reason why these discrepancies occurred. (2) Based on the causes identified in (1), the following actions were taken: 1) If the consent to change to medically appropriate AHNT was obtained, physical findings using Japan Palliative Oncology Study (JPOS) group and Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS) were compared before and 1 week after the intervention. 2) If consent was not obtained, time-limited trial (TLT) was conducted, and these results were compared. (3) The communication between patients/families and medical professionals was compared using Support Team Assessment Schedule. Results. (1) Causes: a) the lack of understanding of the disease condition in 26 cases and b) faulty expectation of AHNT in 15 cases. (2) In 30 cases of 1) (20 of a) and 10 of b)) and 11 of 2) in which TLT was performed, JPOS and ESAS improved significantly. (3) The communication above was improved significantly in 1) and 2) ( P = .0027 and .0039, respectively). Conclusion. Providing medically appropriate AHNT with the consent of patients/families is expected to not only alleviate distressing symptoms but also improve the communication between patients/families and medical professionals, as well as improve the quality of palliative care.

Experience of symptom control, anxiety and associating factors in a palliative care unit evaluated with Support Team Assessment Schedule Japanese version

Various physical and psychosocial difficulties including anxiety affect cancer patients. Patient surroundings also have psychological effects on caregiving. Assessing the current status of palliative care intervention, specifically examining anxiety and its associated factors, is important to improve palliative care unit (PCU) patient quality of life (QOL). This study retrospectively assessed 199 patients admitted to a PCU during August 2018–June 2019. Data for symptom control, anxiety level, disease insight, and communication level obtained using Support Team Assessment Schedule Japanese version (STAS-J) were evaluated on admission and after 2 weeks. Palliative Prognostic Index (PPI) and laboratory data were collected at admission. Patient anxiety was significantly severer and more frequent in groups with severer functional impairment (p = 0.003) and those requiring symptom control (p = 0.006). Nevertheless, no relation was found between dyspnea and anxiety (p = 0.135). Patients with edema more frequently experienced anxiety (p = 0.068). Patient survival was significantly shorter when family anxiety was higher after 2 weeks (p = 0.021). Symptoms, edema, and disabilities in daily living correlate with patient anxiety. Dyspnea is associated with anxiety, but its emergence might be attributable mainly to physical factors in this population. Family members might sensitize changes reflecting worsened general conditions earlier than the patients.

Interdisciplinary Health Care Evaluation Instruments: A Review of Psychometric Evidence

Teamwork among health care professionals has been found to improve patient outcomes and reduce burnout. Surveys from individual team members are often used to measure the effectiveness of teamwork performance, as they provide an efficient way to capture various constructs of teamwork. This allows evaluators to better understand team functioning, areas of strength, and to identify potential areas for improvement. However, the majority of published surveys are yet to be validated. We conducted a review of psychometric evidence to identify instruments frequently used in practice and identified in the literature. The databases searched included MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and PsycINFO. After excluding duplicates and irrelevant articles, 15 articles met the inclusion criteria for full assessment. Seven surveys were validated and most frequently identified in the literature. This review aims to facilitate the selection of instruments that are most appropriate for research and clinical practice. More research is required to develop surveys that better reflect the current reality of teamwork in our evolving health system, including a greater consideration for patient as team members. Additionally, more research is needed to encompass an increasing development of team assessment tools.

Avaliação de desempenho organizacional e sua importância para os centros acadêmicos de Secretariado Executivo

O presente trabalho teve como propósito apresentar a percepção da importância que a avaliação de equipes proporciona para os Centros Acadêmicos (CA), dando ênfase no entendimento desse grupo enquanto uma instituição. Nesse âmbito, considera-se que o Centro Acadêmico, enquanto organização de terceiro setor, tem como finalidade principal buscar organizar atividades acadêmicas de integração entre os alunos do curso e Stakeholders, visando o seu desenvolvimento; e, por isso, necessita de mecanismos de avaliação e monitoramento para atingir suas metas. Com base nisso, o presente trabalho teve como objetivo geral contribuir com ferramentas de avaliação de desempenho que permita ações relevantes para os processos dos Centros Acadêmicos dos cursos de Secretariado Executivo. Especificamente, buscou-se: (1) verificar se os CAs de Secretariado avaliam o desempenho das equipes através de indicadores; (2) identificar quais indicadores tem sido utilizado no processo de avaliação; e, (3) observar a percepção dos membros dos CAs quanto às contribuições da avaliação de desempenho para os Centros Acadêmicos. A metodologia utilizada caracteriza-se como sendo de natureza bibliográfica, de cunho qualitativo e quantitativo. Como ferramenta de coleta de dados utilizou-se um questionário, o qual foi aplicado aos membros que se predispuseram a responder dos Centros Acadêmicos dos cursos de Secretariado dos estados de Pernambuco, Paraíba, Ceará, Minas Gerais e Pará. Os resultados mostraram que a avaliação de desempenho de equipes é um processo de grande importância nas devidas instituições, visto que, estas funcionam com o propósito de acompanhar e ao mesmo tempo mensurar as atividades que estão sendo desenvolvidas, a fim de proporcionar o crescimento e melhoria das equipes. ABSTRACT The purpose of this work was to present the perception of the importance that team assessment provides for Academic Centers, emphasizing the understanding of this group as an institution. In this context, it is considered that the Academic Center, as a third sector organization, has the main purpose of seeking organize academic integration activities between students of the course and Stakeholders, aiming at their development; and, therefore, it needs mechanisms to achieve its goals. Based on this, the present work had as general objective to contribute with performance evaluation tools that allow relevant actions for the processes of the Academic Centers of the Executive Secretariat courses. Specifically, we sought to: (1) verify whether the Secretariat ACs evaluate the teams' performance through indicators; (2) identify which indicators have been used in the evaluation process; and, (3) verify if the performance evaluation of the teams has contributed to the results of the Academic Centers. The methodology used is characterized bibliographic and exploratory nature, of a qualitative research. As a data collection instrument, a questionnaire was used, which was applied to the members of the Academic Centers of the Secretariat courses in the states of Pernambuco, Paraíba, Ceará, Minas Gerais and Pará. The results showed that the performance evaluation of teams is a process of great importance in the appropriate institutions, since it works with the purpose of monitoring and at the same time measuring the activities that are being developed, in order to provide growth and improvement of teams.