Breaking down barriers: A qualitative study of the influence of clinical space design on teamwork
Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Delivery of safe maternity care requires not only individual competence but collective team work, influenced by knowledge, team culture and physical working spaces. The ideal layout for a birthing unit is not known, but deliberate changes to the built environment can influence patient care. AIMS: To explore the impact of creation of an open 'hub' on maternity team culture in a tertiary birthing unit and how physical changes to the environment shape values and practice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Semi-structured interviews of members of the interprofessional team in a tertiary birth suite were performed and analysed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Seventeen healthcare workers participated in interviews. Themes included: (i) enhanced psychological safety; (ii) impacts on teamwork; (iii) unintended consequences; and (iv) future directions for team cohesion and collaboration. CONCLUSIONS: Changes to the built environment can impact team work. This qualitative study identified benefits and unintended consequences to removing a wall, creating a maternity hub. Individuals, departmental leadership, and hospital executives should consider how changes to the built environment can be an effective and efficient way to shape teamwork and organisational culture.
DOI: 10.1111/ajo.13917
Authors: Kara Jane Allen, Lauren De Luca, Eve Purdy, Nova Barrios, Spencer Purdy, Rebecca A. Szabo
Language: English
Subfield: Social Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W4405723849