ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to review studies using observational methodologies to understand desirable characteristics of rating tools, especially those relevant to teams often found in healthcare. The review is based on a four-dimension matrix: reliability, validity, ease of use, and diagnostic efficacy. In healthcare, individuals function in a team for the care of a specific patient. Teams often have fluid team membership with multiple disciplinary and professional backgrounds. In high-risk domains, team members tend to be highly skilled and specialized. They are organized to fulfill specific missions and work interdependently. Teams and individuals may be assessed by teamwork measures. Teamwork measures may have to be limited to certain types of team activities, such as hand-offs or responses to emergencies. Progress in teamwork measures requires a systematic examination of important characteristics of such measures. Validity is the most difficult dimension to confirm in teamwork measures, due to the many confounding variables and multiple conflicting influences found in teamwork.
