Effective health care teams are vital for achieving organizational goals. Team success depends on commitment from members and leadership. When teams share common goals and visions, they can achieve more than individuals alone due to synergistic effects. Key benefits of teamwork include status, learning, self-esteem, and power through collective effort. For health care teams to be successful, members must agree on processes and rules, work cooperatively, engage in problem-solving and assess performance to continuously improve quality of care.

1. Importance of Health Care Team
-By Bachchu Kailash Kaini
Effective teams are vital for achieving organisational goals and objectives. The
organisational strategies for team functions and roles determine how successful or
unsuccessful teams will be. Harrington-Mackin (1994) emphasised that a team is
means to an end – an approach for achieving a goal, whether that goal is improved
production, increased quality, better morale, or happier customers. Team is
governed by rules and norms. Team’s success is shaped by team members’
commitment and dedication. In a review of primary health care teams, team structure
and process affect interprofessional teamwork (Xyrichis and Lowton, 2008). Much of
the literature on interprofessional care focuses on the health care professionals. It is
necessary that team members value and respect teamwork. Scarnati (2001)
describes teamwork as a co-operative process that allows ordinary people to
achieve extra-ordinary results. He further says:
The team has synergy. By sharing a common goal or vision, the team can accomplish what
individuals cannot do alone. Synergy is a process of interaction where 2+2 = 10, It is a magnifying
effect of each component in which the whole surpass the sum of the parts.
Individuals cannot achieve what a team can achieve due to the limitations of their
capabilities. Scarnati (2001) describes the benefits derived through teamwork are:
 Guardianship: team is a family of people with common interests and it offers
reassurance and guardianship to its members.
 Status: Successful team provides each member with status, recognition and a sense
of pride.
 Learning: Team offers an opportunity to enhance individual members learning to
gain a wide range of new ideas and skills.
 Self esteem: Team memberships can provide individuals with a sense of worth.
 Fellowship: Team is a common platform which offers an opportunity to make social
and professional friends.
 Power: Team is formed with authority and power. With its power exercise, individual
team members achieve their goals through team efforts.
Teamwork creates dedication and obligation because every member of the team is
accountable for its success or failure. Commitment from the executive level or top
management is equally vital to achieve a team’s desired outcome. Natale et
al (1998) defined team as a small number of individuals with complementary skills
holding themselves mutually accountable for a commitment of quality, customer
service and productivity.

2. Successful team working depends entirely on the members of the team
(Hammick, et al, 2009, pp.43) and their commitment, dedication, co-ordination and
co-operation. Health care team members have to agree team processes, rules and
practices for the team and service users. Health care professionals need to work
towards creating effective ways of working together and agreeing team rules for the
team. They also have to listen to and engage in discussions in a team, including
problem solving and decision making. Furthermore, health care professionals have
to engage in the assessment of team work, process and the outcome so that any
gaps can be bridged and improved quality of care.
Reference:
Hammick, M., Freeth D., Copperman, J and Goodsman. D. (2009). Being
Interprofessional. Cambridge: Polity.
Harrington-Mackin, D. (1994), The team building tool kit: tips, tactics and rules for effective workplace
teams. New York: American Management Association.
Natale, S.M., Libertella, A.F., & Edwards, B. (1998). Team management: developing concerns, Team
Performance Management, 4(8), 319 – 330.Scarnati, J.T. (2001). On becoming a team player. Team
Performance Management. 7(1). pp.5-10.
Xyrichis, A., & lowton, K. (2008). What fosters or prevents interprofessional teamworking in primary
and community care? A literature review. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 45(1), 140 – 153.