This is a fascinating article that provides an overview of research into the individual, team and systemic level factors that contribute to conflict between clinicians within emergency departments. The researchers found that conflict often occurred during referrals or admissions from ED to inpatient or admitting units. Individual-level contributors to conflict include a lack of trust in ED workup and staff inexperience. Team-level contributors include perceptions of bias between groups, patient complexity, communication errors, and difference in practice. Systems-level contributors include high workload/time pressures, ambiguities around patient responsibility, power imbalances, and workplace culture. Among identified solutions to mitigate conflict are better communication training, standardizing admission guidelines, and improving interdepartmental relationships.
I’d also (rather cheekily) suggest that conflict management training and some timely conflict management coaching are likely to be useful in this setting!
You can download the article for free here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/acem.14874
I’d also (rather cheekily) suggest that conflict management training and some timely conflict management coaching are likely to be useful in this setting!
You can download the article for free here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/acem.14874
