TeamSTEPPS is a teamwork programme developed by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality in the United States. One of its goals is getting team members to share their thinking so that all are operating on a “shared mental model”. For this purpose, TeamSTEPPS has developed simple communication techniques that are widely used and recognized around the world. Using TeamSTEPPS tools allows you to speak in a way that is familiar to health professionals and let them know that you want to be considered part of the team.

The best-known TeamSTEPPS tool is SBAR (renamed “ISBAR” in many countries to Include the important step of identifying yourself and the patient). SBAR is a memory aid you can use to convey information briefly and precisely while being sure to cover the essential elements – Situation, Background, Assessment, and Request. Patients and families can adapt this structure for their own purposes, including giving the information in a different order. Often it is helpful to lead with the request.

The CUS tool provides language you can use to express your level of concern in an increasingly firm but polite way.

It can be frustrating if you feel that your concerns are not taken seriously. The DESC script proposes a structure for remaining calm and persuasive in a tense situation.

* Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality TeamSTEPPS Pocket Guide: Strategies and tools that can be used to improve communication, teamwork, and patient safety. https://www.ahrq.gov/teamstepps/instructor/essentials/pocketguide.html