Teamworking in healthcare: longitudinal evaluation of a teambuilding intervention

Modernization of health services is a priority in the UK requiring changes in the working practices of all staff, and improved teamworking is a prerequisite of effective service delivery. This study evaluates a short teambuilding course delivered to health professionals. A longitudinal survey design was used to assess the feasibility of the course and the change in individual perceptions of team roles and team functioning, and communication skills by questionnaires immediately after the course (time 1), at 3 months (time 2) and at 6 months (time 3). Three questionnaires (Team Development Measure, Teambuilding Questionnaire and Teambuilding Questionnaire-II) were administered over this period, and telephone interviews were conducted with team members and managers at time 3. Combined results suggest that the teambuilding programme lead to an apparent slight improvement in perceived teamworking at 3 months but this had disappeared at 6 months. Although the development of individual teamworking skills is important, interventions must consider the impact of individual, team and organizational level factors on successful translation of learning into practice. Several limitations to the study are discussed.