THE EFFECTS OF TREATMENT TEAM DIVERSITY AND SIZE ON ASSESSMENTS OF TEAM FUNCTIONING

Team-based health care assumes that groups representing multiple disci plines can work together to implement care plans that are comprehensiv e and integrated. It also assumes that professionals can function effe ctively in an interdependent relationship with members of other occupa tional groups. However, we know little about what makes effective team functioning. This article examines the factors related to health care team functioning, with specific emphasis on team demographic composit ion and size. Hierarchical linear modeling is used to analyze 106 mult idisciplinary teams (1,060 members) that provide mental health care in 29 Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals. Results indicate that individuals who operate on more heterogenous and larger teams have lower percepti ons of team functioning.