Introduction: Nursing home residents are a vulnerable and frail segment of the population, characterised by their complex and palliative care needs. To ensure an integrated approach to palliative care for this target group, working on a collaborative basis with multiple providers across organisational boundaries is necessary. Considering that coordinators of palliative networks support and coordinate collaboration, the research question is: ‘how do network coordinators perceive the process of collaboration between organisations in Flemish palliative networks?’ Methods: A dual-phase sequential mixed-methods design was applied. First, the coordinators of each of the fifteen palliative networks in Flanders completed a survey in which they evaluated ten aspects of collaboration for two types of cooperation: between nursing homes and home care, and between nursing homes and hospitals. Next, the survey results thus obtained were discussed to improve understanding in a focus group composed of the above coordinators, and which was analysed on the basis of content analysis. Results: In both forms of cooperation, the ‘formalisation’ and ‘governance’ were the aspects that yielded the lowest mean scores. The coordinators in the focus group expressed a need for more formalised interaction among organisations with regard to palliative care, the establishment of formal channels of communication and the exchange of information, as well as the development of shared leadership. Conclusions: The perspectives of the coordinators on inter-organisational collaboration are a valuable starting point for interventions directed at the stronger integration of palliative care for residents of long term-care facilities.

Introduction: Multiple care organisations, such as home care services, nursing homes and hospitals, are responsible for providing an appropriate response to the palliative care needs of older people admitted into long-term care facilities. Integrated palliative care aims to provide seamless and continuous care. A possible organisational strategy to help realise integrated palliative care for this population is to create a network in which these organisations collaborate. The aim is to analyse the collaboration processes of the various organisations involved in providing palliative care to nursing home residents. Method: A sequential mixed-methods study, including a survey sent to 502 participants to evaluate the collaboration between home and residential care, and between hospital and residential care, and additionally three focus group interviews involving a purposive selection among the survey participants. Participants are key persons from the nursing homes, hospitals and home care organisations that are part of the 15 Flemish palliative care networks dispersed throughout the region of Flanders, Belgium. Results: Survey data were gathered from 308 key persons (response rate: 61%), and 16 people participated in three focus group interviews. Interpersonal dimensions of collaboration are rated higher than structural dimensions. This effect is statistically significant. Qualitative analyses identified guidelines, education, and information-transfer as structural challenges. Additionally, for further development, members should become acquainted and the network should prioritise the establishment of a communication infrastructure, shared leadership support and formalisation. Discussion: The insights of key persons suggest the need for further structuration and can serve as a guideline for interventions directed at improving inter-organisational collaboration in palliative care trajectories for nursing home residents.