Assessing Mental Models from Communications: Patient,Family,and Care Team Messaging within the Hospital

Abstract

Communication provides insight into both individual and team cognition. Team collaboration and performance can benefit from diversity of members and input, but challenges can arise when teams incorporate diverse members. Within health care, The Institute of Medicine strongly advocates for providers to engage patients and family members and work as a “team,” but differences in shared mental models can introduce barriers. This study examined differences in shared mental models through communication, focusing on knowledge and expectations of hospital care delivery. We combined qualitative and quantitative approaches to analyze the content of secure messages sent within an inpatient portal of a midwestern hospital system. Findings indicated differences between patients’ and care team members mental models of hospital care delivery, and further suggested that family mental models may differ from those of both patients and care team members. Future research will explore shared mental models in-depth via semi-structured interviews with patients and care team members, and evaluate if changes to the inpatient portal can increase shared mental models of patients, the care team and family members.