Team communication in the treatment of children who require specialized care: A review of the literature

Abstract

In the treatment of children with special needs, a long-term relationship between the health professionals and the patient’s family is built over time. Such relationship is based on collaborative communication between the involved parties. The purpose of this study was to make an integrative review of the literature regarding team communication in the treatment of people who require specialized care. The following databases were used in the search for papers: PsyArticles (APA), ScienceDirect (Elsevier), Springer, SAGE Journals Online, Oxford Journals, and SciELO. Eight papers were selected and the results indicated a high number of exploratory studies on the theme, including, more recently, the rise of research that aimed at elaborating evaluation and intervention tools related to team communication in health. The conducted analyses identified a predominance of studies that evaluate communication in a bidirectional manner, collecting data both with caregivers and health professionals. The elucidation of existing research aims at providing an overview of the subject, helping delineate future directions for research. Suggestions were given on possible studies towards advancing knowledge on team communication.

Keywords: development deficiencies, patient care team, cross-discipline communication.