title: Quantitative evaluation of regular morning meetings aimed at improving work practices associated with effective interdisciplinary communication.
abstract: In 2000, an interdisciplinary surgical morning meeting (SMM) was introduced into the infants' and toddlers' ward of a major paediatric hospital to help overcome a number of communication and work process problems among the health professionals providing care to children/families. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of the SMM on a range of work practices. Comparative design including pre- and postintervention data collection was used. Data were collected on 100 patient records. Twenty children, from each of the five diagnostic-related groups most commonly admitted to the ward, were included. Demographic, medical review, documentation, critical incidents and complaint variables were obtained from three sources: the hospital clinical information system, the children's medical records and the hospital reporting systems for complaints and critical incidents. Children in the postintervention group were significantly more likely to be reviewed regularly by medical staff, to be reviewed in the morning, to have plans for discharge documented regularly throughout their admission and to have admission summary sheets completed at the time of discharge. The findings of the quantitative evaluation add some weight to the arguments for the purposely structured introduction of interdisciplinary teams into acute-care environments.
authors.affiliation: High Dependency Medical/Surgical Unit, Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia. judith.aston@sesiahs.health.nsw.gov.au
authors.forename: Judy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Aston
authors.forename: Edward
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bullôt
authors.forename: Robyn
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Galway
authors.forename: Jackie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Crisp
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003142:Communication; D019091:Critical Pathways / Q000458:organization & administration; D004282:Documentation / Q000592:standards; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D005260:Female; D006126:Group Processes; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D009517:New South Wales; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D010347:Patient Care Planning / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010351:Patient Discharge / Q000592:standards; D019990:Perioperative Care / Q000451:nursing / Q000458:organization & administration*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D017749:Total Quality Management / Q000458:organization & administration*