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On Being a Team Player: Evidence-Based Heuristic for Teamwork in Interprofessional Education

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Abstract

Identifying the need of a team-based approach for improving quality care, there has been growth in creating and implementing interprofessional education (IPE). The goal of IPE curricula should be to instill the knowledge, skills, and attitudes required for optimal teamwork. With this objective in mind, this paper will provide a streamlined, evidence-based, memorable heuristic of teamwork that could guide interprofessional educators. Rooted in science, this heuristic consists of the six Cs of teamwork — cooperation, communication, conflict, coordination, coaching, and cognition. This paper will define the ‘Cs’ of teamwork and describe their importance, implications, and strategies for integration within interprofessional curricula.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Institute of Simulation & Training, University of Central, Florida 3100 Technology Parkway, Orlando, FL, 32826, USA

    Eduardo Salas PhD & Lauren E. Benishek

  2. University of Kansas School of Medicine, Wichita, KS, USA

    Elizabeth H. Lazzara

  3. Wichita State University, Wichita, KS, USA

    Elizabeth H. Lazzara

  4. United States Department of Defense, Washington, DC, USA

    Heidi King

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  1. Eduardo Salas PhD
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  2. Elizabeth H. Lazzara
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  4. Heidi King
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Correspondence to Eduardo Salas PhD.

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Salas, E., Lazzara, E.H., Benishek, L.E. et al. On Being a Team Player: Evidence-Based Heuristic for Teamwork in Interprofessional Education. Med.Sci.Educ. 23 (Suppl 3), 524–531 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03341675

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