Crew Resource Management within interprofessional teamwork development

Abstract

This paper presents the case for a practical approach for developing the workforce, to safeguard patients and to improve the quality of the patient pathway across health, social care and beyond. Central to this is the inclusion of Crew Resource Management (CRM) (RAeS, 1999) skills learned from the aviation industry, to enhance interprofessional teamwork development and collaborative practice. To address this, we have developed a model for interprofessional teamwork development, focusing on improvement and patient safety which encompasses the entire system involved with the patient pathway. This model includes a transformative cycle of improvement and the processes and interprofessional leadership and membership skills required to achieve an open inclusive culture, providing interprofessional teams with the skills and tools to drive improvement for patient safety and increased satisfaction with services.