Proposing a New Debrief Checklist for TeamSTEPPS® to Improve Documentation and Clinical Debriefing

Purpose. The purpose of this article is to propose a new debrief checklist for the Team Strategies and Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety (TeamSTEPPS®) curriculum. Background. The current debrief checklist provided in the TeamSTEPPS® curriculum focuses on how the team performed, while leaving out the order of events that transpired during the team’s time together. A failure to discuss the order of events can lead to improper or inadequate documentation, which can result in clinical error and increased litigation. Aim. In this article, I explain how the shared mental model, acquired during an actual or simulated clinical event needs to progress to the team debriefing to improve documentation. I propose an improved debrief checklist that is based on practice in numerous healthcare facilities and simulation centers worldwide. Conclusion. The TeamSTEPPS® curriculum should be updated to the new debrief checklist with the shared goal of reducing litigation and billing errors, while increasing patient safety.