Abstract:
Background: Working in team improves clinical outcomes, boosts professional satisfaction,
and offers essential peer support. However, despite the recent opening of numerous new
public hospitals in Ethiopia, researchers have paid little attention to how health workers
perceive teamwork.
Objective: To determine the level of perception toward teamwork and its associated factors
among health workers in public hospitals, West Shoa, Oromia, Ethiopia, 2022.
Methods: Hospital based cross-sectional study supplemented by qualitative method was
conducted among 290 health workers working in West Shoa Public Hospitals from April 01
to 20, 2022. A systematic random sampling technique was implemented to select study
population. Data were entered into Epi-Data version 4.6; exported and further analyzed by
SPSS version 23 software. Descriptive statistics, bi-variable and multivariable logistic
regression analysis was performed. An adjusted odds ratio with a 95% CI and p-value of
<0.05 were declared statistically significant. For qualitative study, focus group discussion
technique was employed. The findings of the qualitative data were analyzed according to
their thematic area and presented with original supporting source quotations through
narrative.
Result: The overall positive perception of participants toward teamwork was found to be
52.3% (95%CI=46%, 58%). Work experience greater than 12 years [AOR: 3.28,
95%CI=1.99, 8.99)], Monthly income greater than 10,000 EB [AOR: 3.15, 95% CI= (1.19,
8.36))], good teamwork knowledge [AOR: 2.39, 95% CI= (1.40, 4.07)] and small team size
[AOR: 2.34, 95% CI= (1.12, 4.91)] were factors that affect perception of health workers
toward teamwork. Finding from the qualitative data also indicated that lack of teamwork
knowledge, lack good leadership, absence of team motivation and lack of competition among
team were main barriers for health profession perception towards teamwork.
Conclusion: This study found that significant numbers of the health workers perceived
teamwork negatively. Work experience, monthly income, team size and team work
knowledge, were the significant variables that affect health workers perception. Therefore,
emphasis should be given by all stakeholders to improve perception of health workers
towards teamwork for all health workers working in West Shoa public hospitals.
