TY - JOUR
T1 - Cancer center clinic and research team perceptions of identity and interactions
AU - Reimer, Torsten
AU - Lee, Simon J.Craddock
AU - Garcia, Sandra
AU - Gill, Mary
AU - Duncan, Tobi
AU - Williams, Erin L.
AU - Gerber, David E.
N1 - Funding Information:
The Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center is a freestanding clinical, research, and educational facility within The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. Clinic staff are organized into hematology-oncology, radiation oncology, surgical oncology, and gynecologic oncology clinics. Hematology-oncology clinic staff are further categorized as outpatient clinic or infusion staff. The Simmons Clinical Research Office, which is organized by disease site, includes clinical research coordinators and managers; protocol and regulatory team staff; administrative, compliance, and financial support staff; and administrative managers.
Funding Information:
This study was derived from participation in the National Cancer Institute–American Society of Clinical Oncology Teams in Cancer Care Delivery Project. Supported in part by National Institutes of Health National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Short-Term Institutional Research Training Grant No. 5 T35 DK 66141-10 (to S.G.); The University of Texas Southwestern Center for Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Grant No. AHRQ 1R24HS022418-01 (to S.J.C.L.); a National Cancer Institute Midcareer Investigator Award in Patient-Oriented Research (No. K24CA201543-01; to D.E.G.);TheUniversityofTexasSouthwesternNationalCancerInstituteNational Clinical Trials Network Lead Academic Site Grant No. 5U10CA180870-02 (to D.E.G.); and the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, supported in part by a National Cancer Institute Cancer Center Support Grant No. 1P30 CA142543-03. We thank Dru Gray for assistance with manuscript preparation, and Helen Mayo, MLS, from The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Library, for assistance with literature searches.
Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2018 American Society of Clinical Oncology. All rights reserved.
PY - 2017/12
Y1 - 2017/12
N2 - Purpose Conduct of cancer clinical trials requires coordination and cooperation among research and clinic teams. Diffusion of and confusion about responsibility may occur if team members' perceptions of roles and objectives do not align. These factors are critical to the success of cancer centers but are poorly studied. Methods We developed a survey adapting components of the Adapted Team Climate Inventory, MeasureofTeamIdentification, andMeasureof In-Group Bias. Surveys wereadministered to research and clinic staff at a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t tests, and analyses of variance. Results Responses were received from 105 staff (clinic, n = 55; research, n = 50; 61% response rate). Compared with clinic staff, research staff identified more strongly with their own group (P, .01) but less strongly with the overall cancer center (P=.02). Both clinic staff and research staff viewed their own group's goals as clearer than those of the other group (P<.01) and felt that members of their groups interacted and shared information within (P<.01) and across (P<.01) groups more than the other group did. Research staff perceived daily outcomes as more important than did clinic staff (P = .05), specifically research-related outcomes (P = .07). Conclusion Although there are many similarities between clinic and research teams, we also identified key differences, including perceptions of goal clarity and sharing, understanding and alignment with cancer center goals, and importance of outcomes. Future studies should examine how variation in perceptions and group dynamics between clinic and research teams may impact function and processes of cancer care.
AB - Purpose Conduct of cancer clinical trials requires coordination and cooperation among research and clinic teams. Diffusion of and confusion about responsibility may occur if team members' perceptions of roles and objectives do not align. These factors are critical to the success of cancer centers but are poorly studied. Methods We developed a survey adapting components of the Adapted Team Climate Inventory, MeasureofTeamIdentification, andMeasureof In-Group Bias. Surveys wereadministered to research and clinic staff at a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t tests, and analyses of variance. Results Responses were received from 105 staff (clinic, n = 55; research, n = 50; 61% response rate). Compared with clinic staff, research staff identified more strongly with their own group (P, .01) but less strongly with the overall cancer center (P=.02). Both clinic staff and research staff viewed their own group's goals as clearer than those of the other group (P<.01) and felt that members of their groups interacted and shared information within (P<.01) and across (P<.01) groups more than the other group did. Research staff perceived daily outcomes as more important than did clinic staff (P = .05), specifically research-related outcomes (P = .07). Conclusion Although there are many similarities between clinic and research teams, we also identified key differences, including perceptions of goal clarity and sharing, understanding and alignment with cancer center goals, and importance of outcomes. Future studies should examine how variation in perceptions and group dynamics between clinic and research teams may impact function and processes of cancer care.
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U2 - 10.1200/JOP.2017.024349
DO - 10.1200/JOP.2017.024349
M3 - Article
C2 - 29028418
AN - SCOPUS:85039927069
SN - 1554-7477
VL - 13
SP - e1021-e1029
JO - Journal of oncology practice
JF - Journal of oncology practice
IS - 12
ER -