What is CRM (Crisis Resource Management)?

CRM in healthcare is a structured approach to managing human factors in critical situations, emphasizing:

• Effective teamwork

• Clear communication

• Situational awareness

• Task management

• Decision-making under pressure

Originally developed for the aviation industry to prevent accidents, CRM principles are now widely used in emergency medicine, anaesthesia, ICU, surgery, and other high-risk medical settings.

Intended for all HCWs working in critical areas of the hospital dealing with medical and surgical emergencies and other complex scenarios of the hospital such as fire, chemical hazards, and power and oxygen failure.

• Management of life-threatening situations and mishaps
• Medical mishap evolution in healthcare delivery system
• Crisis resource management principles
• Problem-based learning through case scenarios
• Classical and complex case discussions
• MCQs for all chapters
• Fully illustrated with 170 colour images
• Complete Crisis Management Coverage – Integrates critical care, emergency medicine, trauma response, and perioperative patient safety into one comprehensive guide.
• Real-Life Clinical Case Studies – Learn from authentic ICU and emergency department scenarios to sharpen crisis decision-making skills.
• Aviation-Based CRM Principles – Applies SHELL model, human factors, and cross-industry crisis teamwork strategies to healthcare settings.
• Technical & Non-Technical Skills – Builds clinical expertise while strengthening leadership, teamwork, communication, and situational awareness.
• Visual Learning Made Easy – Features flowcharts, algorithms, and diagrams for rapid concept recall in high-pressure situations.
• Exam-Oriented Learning – Includes MCQs and structured self-assessment tools for postgraduate and professional exam preparation.
• Disaster & Rare Event Preparedness – Covers hospital disasters, fire incidents, and chemical exposure response.
• Adaptable to All Resource Settings – Practical protocols for both advanced tertiary care and low-resource hospitals.
• Course-Tested & Trusted – Official textbook for CRM & Patient Safety Foundation workshops, piloted at ISCCM 2022 Mumbai.
• Expert Author – Written by Dr. Parshotam Lal Gautam, a nationally recognized leader in critical care medicine and patient safety.

Tools & Frameworks Supporting CRM

•   SBAR (Situation-Background-Assessment-Recommendation)

•   CUSS (Concerned, Uncomfortable, Safety issue, Stop)

•             TeamSTEPPS (Team Strategies and Tools to Enhance Performance and       Patient Safety)

•             WHO Surgical Safety Checklist

•             Debriefing Models (e.g., PEARLS)

CRM enhances patient safety by:

•             Reducing human error in emergencies

•             Improving team performance under pressure

•             Standardizing responses to common critical situations

•             Promoting a culture of safety and continuous learning