Teamwork makes the dream work?

The study included ten critical care medicine fellows who were randomized into two groups. One group received personalized number jerseys for each code team member, while the control team wore their regular clothes. Each of the groups were asked to participate in six cardiac arrest scenarios using high-fidelity simulation, and participants alternated between team leader and team member roles for each case. Trained faculty using the validated16-item Mayo High Performance Teamwork scale graded teamwork.

Results found that the Mayo Teamwork score was significantly higher in the group donning team jerseys as compared with the control group. (23.5 vs 17.5, P <.01). In addition, there was a statistically significant difference in the percent of directed commands in the experimental vs control groups (35.63% vs 19.58%, P<.01).

"This study demonstrated that the use of numbered jerseys for individual code team members is an effective way to significantly increase the overall teamwork performance during a CA event," says Dr. Yekaterina Kim, lead searcher, "in addition, the use of such jerseys significantly increased the number of direct commands by team leaders during such scenarios, thereby reducing the percent of ineffective commands."