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Team Membership (team + membership)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Medical Sciences	50%

Selected Abstracts

Nutritional advice and treatment by dietitians to patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/motor neurone disease: a survey of current practice in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Canada

JOURNAL OF HUMAN NUTRITION & DIETETICS, Issue 1 2007
A. Rio
Abstract Background, The management of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/motor neurone disease (ALS/MND) has shifted from an attitude of nihilism to treatments that prolong survival and offer hope. Nutrition is an integral component of ALS/MND care requiring coordination among acute and community multi-disciplinary teams (MDT). Evidence-based nutrition guidelines exist for this patient group but their use among dietitians is unknown. The aim of this study was to survey the knowledge, practice and guideline use of dietitians working in ALS/MND centres/clinics across England, Wales, Northern Ireland (EWNI) and Canada. Method, Dietetic contact details were obtained from the Motor Neurone Disease Association (MNDA) and the ALS Society of Canada (ALSSC) websites. Telephone interviews were conducted with 23 dietitians using a standardized questionnaire. Results, Multi-disciplinary team membership was high (78%). Only 22% dietitians had >4-years experience in ALS/MND care. Dietitians reported using body weight, percentage weight loss (PWL) and body mass index (BMI) to assess nutritional status. Equations used to estimate energy and protein requirements differed. Most frequent dietary advice was high calorie, texture modification and prescription nutritional supplements. Artificial nutrition and hydration (ANH) was discussed when patients developed dysphagia, energy intake was inadequate, weight loss of 10% or forced vital capacity (FVC) was reduced. A percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) service was available at all clinics/centres. Conclusion, Nutritional assessment techniques and dietary advice should be standardized. Dietetic collaboration at national and international level is recommended to reduce professional isolation. Training and support in ALS/MND nutrition should be made available as part of post-dietetic registration. Further dietetic research is required to stimulate nutritional care. [source]

TIME MATTERS IN TEAM PERFORMANCE: EFFECTS OF MEMBER FAMILIARITY, ENTRAINMENT, AND TASK DISCONTINUITY ON SPEED AND QUALITY

PERSONNEL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 3 2003
DAVID A. HARRISON
We compared the speed and quality of performance for familiar, initially unfamiliar but continuing, and one-shot (single session) teams. We also proposed and observed entrainment effects for task time limits. Over the course of weekly sessions with changing tasks, continuing teams reached speed levels of the initially familiar teams, but the one-shot teams were consistently slower. Continuing teams also tended to have higher-quality output than the one-shot teams. There were no differences in how quickly each type of group entrained to time limits on the tasks. Entrainment was not robust to task discontinuity (Task A, then B). However, entrainment on repeated trials of a task persisted even when a different type of task "interrupted" those repeated trials (Task A, then B, then A again). Results compel a richer incorporation of time as a medium for complex task sequences, and time-based constructs as a feature of team membership in the study of group effectiveness. [source]

The Economics of Teams among Technicians

BRITISH JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS, Issue 1 2001
Rosemary Batt
This paper examines the economic logic of organizing field technicians into self-managed teams, an approach to work organization that shifts the division of labour from a hierarchical to horizontal one. Economic efficiencies arise through the integration of direct and indirect labour tasks and the alignment of'the organizational structure with the occupational logic of communities of practice among technicians. Self-managed teams absorb the monitoring and co-ordination tasks of supervisors, substantially reducing indirect labour costs but without adversely affecting objective measures of quality and labour productivity. For technicians, team membership means longer work hours, but higher wages through overtime pay. [source]

Therapists' experiences and perceptions of teamwork in neurological rehabilitation: reasoning behind the team approach, structure and composition of the team and teamworking processes

PHYSIOTHERAPY RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL, Issue 2 2006
Kitty Maria Suddick
Abstract Background and Purpose.,Teamwork and the interdisciplinary team approach have been strongly advocated for use in the provision of neurological rehabilitation services. However, whether teamwork has been adopted, and in what form, has yet to be established. The present study investigated therapists' experiences and perceptions of the reasoning behind the team approach in neurological rehabilitation, the structure and composition of the team within which they worked and the teamworking process,Method.,This article reports part of an exploratory qualitative study. Five occupational therapists and five physiotherapists from three teams: a rehabilitation centre; a community team; and a stroke unit based within the UK. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with each participant and then transcribed. Content and thematic analysis of the qualitative interview data was carried out, with respondents validating both the transcription and analysis stages.,Results.,Perceived composition and structure of the neurological rehabilitation team was variable across teams and between individual team members. There was disparity as to whether patients were included within the neurological team; the interdisciplinary team approach had not been consistently adopted and there were sub-teams and other team memberships in existence. Reasoning behind the team approach supported the perceived benefits of teamwork from a number of perspectives, and the activities reported as part of the team process were diverse.,Conclusions.,Different teams may choose to use different strategies depending on the aims and context of the team effort. In some instances interdisciplinary teamwork and patient-centred approaches were not adopted consistently and the process of teamwork itself is both complex and diverse. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]