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Team Management - Can music contribute to better understanding? (Published 2014)
Posted:
Apr 06, 2016
by
AMEE Administrator
Author:
Larsen T. and Beier-Holgersen R.
Publication Year:
2014
Summary:
This study looks at training medical students to use non-verbal communication like the conductor of an orchestra.
Description:
Conducting an orchestra is predominantly non-verbal. The conductor leads the orchestra using body language and his eyes. If his conducting reaches all the musicians in the orchestra, the magic of the music emerges. The question is whether it is possible to apply some of the skills of a conductor to team management in an emergency medical situation in a way which makes sense for students and junior doctors.
Method: In order to explain to the students how to take control as a team leader, communicate more effectively and work well in a team, the conductor described the skills required to conduct an orchestra. He explained how to use eye contact, body language and gestures and set the students two musical exercises to perform and then gave individual feedback on their performance. These skills were then transferred to a simulated medical emergency situation in which every student was given the opportunity to play the team leader.
Trevor Gibbs
An interesting short paper that describes very novel approach to teaching non-verbal communication. It was hardly surprising that the students appeared to rate this approach well, especially when the subject was given contextualisation later. Of course, the real evaluation will come about when the students can put their new knowledge into clinical effect and I look forward to reading a full paper when this occurs.
26/06/2014 13:03:07
Davinder Sandhu
It is still surprising to learn that verbal communication between humans is only 10% and body language constitutes 50% of all communication. The authors don't mention that the exercise of being a conductor and then leading a cardiac arrest team must have been a lot of fun. Which is what learning is. An orchestra may be difficult to comprehend but I have seen a live class in chamber music of 4 participants who have to learn to be a team otherwise they just cannot function. The authors may wish to follow this up as well. Learning becomes deep learning when it is fun.
20/07/2015 12:31:56