About this adaptation
This is a Unified Medical Direction adaptation of AHRQ’s TeamSTEPPS debriefing guidance. The five-minute framing, five-step sequence, wording, and worksheet are UMD adaptations. This is not an official AHRQ tool or a replacement for formal incident review.
Name a facilitator
The team leader or a designated team member facilitates the discussion. Identify that person at the start.
The facilitator keeps the conversation focused, invites contributions from the team, discourages blame, and helps the group finish with a clear next step. Aim for a brief conversation; move issues requiring more time or a different review process to an appropriate follow-up.
1. Set the purpose
After immediate care responsibilities are covered, invite a brief discussion in an appropriate private setting. The facilitator states the purpose: understand the work and prepare for the next encounter, not assign blame.
2. Reconstruct the essentials
Ask for a short, factual account of the challenge, the team’s priorities, and any important change in the situation. Separate what was known at the time from what became clear later.
3. Name one strength
Identify a specific action, communication choice, or preparation step worth repeating.
4. Find one opportunity
Ask what made the task harder. Consider roles, communication, workload, equipment, and support before drawing conclusions about an individual.
5. Assign a next step and close with a recap
Choose a small action with an owner and a follow-up date. Move serious concerns or sensitive details into the appropriate authorized process.
The facilitator closes by summarizing:
- The strength the team wants to repeat.
- The opportunity the team identified.
- The agreed next action, its owner, and the follow-up date.
- Any issue being referred for further review.
Ask the team whether the recap is accurate and whether anything essential is missing. Confirm who will communicate the follow-up.
Take one action forward
Facilitator:
Keep doing:
Change or investigate:
Agreed next action:
Action owner and follow-up date:
Issue referred for further review, if applicable:
Do not enter patient information on a public website or unapproved worksheet. Follow local requirements for documentation and review. This performance debrief is not a compulsory psychological debrief or mental health treatment.
Adapted from AHRQ TeamSTEPPS: Reviewing the Team’s Performance—Debrief.
AHRQ provides the underlying team-performance debriefing guidance. The specific format, prompts, and worksheet above are UMD adaptations. The source does not establish validation of this particular five-minute format.
AHRQ retains authorship of its source material. This adaptation is not issued or endorsed by AHRQ.