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Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
MD Education

Systems Awareness & Team-Based Care

Our graduates will demonstrate awareness of the overall healthcare delivery system, as well as the system of care in each of their clinical settings, and will demonstrate the ability to work as an effective member of the healthcare team.

Expand the entries below to learn more about benchmarks in these competencies.

 SATBC - 1

Describe healthcare finance, policy, and delivery in various healthcare systems, and its effect on cost, access, quality, and equity.

  • Does Not Meet: Demonstrates little or no understanding of health care financing, policies, or delivery systems.
  • Phase 1 Benchmark: Demonstrates fundamental understanding of policies or delivery systems. Able to describe some of their effects on cost, access, quality, and equity. 
  • Phase 2-3 Benchmark: Demonstrates a working knowledge and understanding of health care finance, policy, and delivery. Proposes solutions to help improve cost, access, quality, and/or equity.
  • Aspirational Behavior: Demonstrates significant understanding of health care finance, policy, and delivery, including the ability to propose changes to the system to improve access, quality, and equity at lower cost. Can seamlessly call upon system resources to achieve cost, access, quality, and equity, even in challenging circumstances. 

 SATBC - 2a

Works collaboratively with others using mutual respect to achieve shared goals. 

  • Does Not Meet: Demonstrates lack of awareness of core teamwork principles. Disregards team goals in favor of individual goals. 
  • Phase 1 Benchmark: Defines core teamwork principles and consistently applies these when working in teams.
  • Phase 2 Benchmark:Applies teamwork principles consistently in routine interactions with all members of the team. Actively participates in the accomplishment of team goals.
  • Phase 3 Benchmark: Demonstrates teamwork principles consistently in challenging situations including managing conflict and giving feedback.
  • Aspirational Behavior: Demonstrates the ability to consistently apply the science of teamwork to adapt one’s role and discuss organizational structure to increase effectiveness of teams.

 SATBC - 2b

Demonstrates knowledge of one’s own role and team members’ expertise to improve health outcomes. 

  • Does Not Meet: Unaware of the roles of healthcare team members. Unable to leverage team members’ expertise to work effectively in teams.
  • Phase 1 Benchmark: Demonstrates knowledge of health care team members’ roles consistently and understands necessity of diverse team members to providing optimal patient care.
  • Phase 2 Benchmark: Differentiates each team member’s role and scope of practice to work effectively in health care teams. Practices cultural humility to improve collaboration.
  • Phase 3 Benchmark: Applies knowledge of health care team members’ expertise for collaborative practice to improve health outcomes.
  • Aspirational Behavior: Coaches others about the scope of practice of health care team members. Collaborates with others within and across health care settings to improve outcomes. 

 SATBC - 3

Demonstrate skills in transitioning care from one clinical team member to another within and between healthcare systems, paying particular attention to unique patient needs.

  • Does Not Meet: Demonstrates little or no understanding of the patient safety implications of transitions of care. Unable to describe any structured approaches to patient handoffs.
  • Phase 1 Benchmark: Can discuss ways that transitions of care introduce risk to patients. Able to identify 1-2 structured approaches to communicating about patients during transitions.
  • Phase 2 Benchmark: Applies a standardized approach to communicating critical information during transitions of care for straightforward patients in a variety of settings. Includes all appropriate sections and critical information in discharge instructions, summaries, or handoffs for straightforward patients. 
  • Phase 3 Benchmark: Applies a standardized approach to communicating critical information during transitions of care for complex patients. Includes all appropriate sections and critical information in discharge instructions, summaries, or handoffs for complex patients. Provides correct prioritization, anticipatory guidance, and contingency planning during handoffs for simple scenarios.
  • Aspirational Behavior: Demonstrates effective, standardized approaches to transitions of care and navigates barriers impeding effective transitions of care. Collaborates with other team members to ensure safe care. Provides correct prioritization, anticipatory guidance, and contingency planning during handoffs even for complex scenarios.