Impact of TeamSTEPPS® Training on Teamwork and Interprofessional Communication in Maternity Care: A Quasi-Experimental Study.

Background: Clear communication and cohesive teamwork are critical for ensuring safe, high-quality patient care, especially within the demanding environment of the labor ward. Pakistan faces some of the worst pregnancy outcomes globally. The TeamSTEPPS® is a validated curriculum for teaching interprofessional communication to healthcare professionals. Given the unique contexts of maternity care in Pakistan, there is a need to test the effectiveness of the TeamSTEPPS® program in interprofessional team involved in provision of care. Methods: This quasi experimental study was conducted at Services Institute Medical Sciences/Services hospital Lahore, Pakistan. All the nursing students, pharmacist, obstetric, anesthesia and pediatric residents posted in labour room for two months were included. A core team of faculty taught the participants using TeamSTEPPS® framework. Participants knowledge, perceptions and attitudes were checked pre-training, one week and one month post-training using TeamSTEPPS® questionnaire of Teamwork Attitudes Questionnaire, Teamwork Perceptions Questionnaire and learning benchmarks. Team performance using Team Performance Observation Tool was also assessed after a month by simulation scenarios. Data were entered and analyzed using SPSS version 25. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize demographic characteristics and Chi-square test was applied to evaluate the association between pre- and post-intervention scores related to attitude, perception, benchmark and team performance. P-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Total of 25 participants were imparted training. Significant improvements in team knowledge were seen in understanding the role of a team leader, shared mental model identifying the best method for conflict resolution at one week and one month post training (P<0.05). Changes in attitudes was observed in Team Structure, leadership and communication after one month (p<0.05). The intervention was effective in enhancing perceptions of team structure, situation monitoring, mutual support, and communication (p<0.05). The team performance assessment showed that all teams scored from acceptable to excellent implying that training had positive impact on their ability to work as interprofessional team. Conclusion: The study demonstrated improvements in knowledge, attitudes, perceptions, and observed behaviors of healthcare professionals, affirming the relevance and effectiveness of structured teamwork training in a maternity care setting. This advocates for integration of TeamSTEPPS® into medical curricula, institutional policy, and national health programs.