Contact: Karen R. Cox, RN, PhD @ (573) 882-6987

Summary:
Since May of 2003, University of Missouri Health Care has contracted with a Crew Resource Management (CRM) vendor from Memphis, TN, to provide CRM training for health care teams in high-risk areas.

To date, almost 1,500 of our physicians and staff members have completed this training course, focusing on communication and safety techniques in high risk areas. Capitalizing on the multiple similarities that exist between the health care and aviation industry, this program trains health care providers to effectively incorporate aviation tools in high risk areas. Ninety-seven percent of our staff attending this course have felt that this course is likely to reduce the number of medical errors!

CRM teaches about human error, human performance limits and countermeasures to error. Countermeasure techniques include pre- and post-event briefings, checklists and standard operating procedures (system tools), assertive communication, cross-checking, peer monitoring and team decision-making.

The CRM course covers a broad range of skills including:

• Quality DashBoard: CMS Publicly Reported Indicators for Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI)-10/14/2007
• Effective teamwork and team leadership
• Situational awareness - recognizing safety red flags
• Dealing with adverse situations
• Communication - how to be assertive while still being professional
• Enhancing communication through cross-checks, pre-briefs and post-briefs

Reference/Tools:
21 Points of Standardized Report