Using network analysis to support fluid teams managing postpartum hemorrhage

Traditional approaches to improve teamwork during postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) may not be effective for dynamic situations with fluid team members. In this study, we use the Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety (SEIPS) model as a framework to identify strategies to improve the teamwork of fluid teams managing PPH. We administered a close-ended survey to explore how clinicians in the obstetrics and gynecology department perceive their team membership, team interactions, and team effectiveness when managing PPH. Then, we used network analysis to understand how clinician interactions differ and describe the relationship between team membership and team effectiveness. Our results showed that the type and frequency of interactions differed between the participant roles. Additionally, our results showed a weak, positive correlation between team membership and effectiveness. From our findings, we identified two work system design strategies to improve teamwork: establish a decentralized communication structure and implement task-focused behaviors.