Collaborative Communications Cycle

An example of a clinical microsystem in an open-heart surgery unit would be a group that includes cardiologists, surgeons, nurses, pharmacists, therapists, nutritionists, social workers, and others who routinely interact to care for heart patients. The fol-lowing steps, known as the Collaborative Communications Cycle, developed in consultation with a human factors expert, are repeated each day for each patient ... 

Team members report that the Collaborative Communications Cycle is a significant cultural shift. It requires a physician champion and buy in from all disciplines. It also requires perseverance, in addition to trust among team members. Each patient takes an average of ten minutes (simpler cases take as little as five minutes, and more complex patients as much as twenty minutes), but the rounds save time throughout the day as rework is minimized. 

The Concord Collaborative Care Model has produced measurable improvements in morbidity and mortality. Cardiac staff members who participated in a survey on quality of work life reported that the Collaborative Communications Cycle consistently helped them make better therapeutic decisions. According to staff members, a key motivator has been the reactions of patients and family members. Patient satisfaction has increased as family members have reported feeling comforted and empowered by the process. 

Elise Kendall, a pharmacist, states that patients are "better informed, more reassured, and they have less anxiety." She believes that the Collaborative Communications Cycle "empowers a patient to become more participatory."... 

---