Interprofessional Teams and Communication as a Foundation for Patient Safety

Interprofessional healthcare teams have been documented in the literature for over 200 years but have gained significant influence in the last 40 years. Interprofessional teams, at their peak performance, decrease patient length of stay and cost, improve provider and patient satisfaction, and decrease provider burnout, but the most important feature is that they improve patient safety and decrease errors. This chapter discusses the tools and strategies employed by these teams to make healthcare safer.