Applying performance psychology to specialist medical teams: facilitating change in the UK national organ retrieval service

Abstract

Applying human performance science to medical contexts is important and widely recognised; however, prior to the current thesis, there had been no published research investigating the performance psychology of individuals and teams delivering life-saving organ retrieval procedures. Organ retrieval is a vital healthcare service, undergoing large-scale transformation to meet the increasing demand for transplants, and improve the quality of organs for transplant recipients. This PhD adopts an applied research approach, underpinned by pragmatic research philosophy, and utilises methods and approaches from performance psychology. The thesis outlines the context and training needs of UK organ retrieval teams; explores the ways in which changes to standard practice affect individual and team performance; and offers context sensitive suggestions for maximising training opportunities to enhance staff performance and consequently benefit patients. In addition to the impact on policy and practice, this work makes a novel contribution to the literature on applying performance psychology in organ retrieval teams, highlights the current gaps, and suggests future directions for research in this field.