Interprofessional collaboration: An exploration of possible prerequisites for successful implementation

Abstract

Poor collaboration among professional groups may be a major cause of incoherent patient pathways in hospital settings. For over a decade, interprofessional collaboration (IPC) have been stressed as an effective method to enhance the delivery of patient care. This article presents a theory-based stakeholder evaluation of the implementation of an intervention aiming to implement the concept of IPC in a Danish regional hospital from 2012 to 2015. Involving five departments and eight professions, the intervention aimed at developing coherent practices across health professions by optimising patient pathways with the establishment of interprofessional teams as a core element. The evaluation assessed the professionals' views of the intervention. Data were collected through focus group interviews and document analysis. We found that a strengthened focus on patient pathways, well-trained instructors, and an evidence-based strategy for implementation facilitates the success of interventions with a focus on IPC in hospital settings. We furthermore found that cultural and organisational factors are barriers to the implementation of IPC practices, that interruptions of uni-professional work may hamper coordination across professions, and that the interprofessional teams may form new isolated organisational structures.

Multi-sector perspectives on learning for interprofessional practice: lessons for higher education and organisational culture

“…This is recommended as a focus for further research. The importance of fostering an organisational culture that supports interprofessional practice emerged as a key theme, supporting the findings of others (Vestergaard & Norgaard, 2018).…”

Comprehensive geriatric assessment of frail older people: ideals and reality

“…However, bringing professionals together into the interprofessional team will not automatically lead to collaboration and integration of the participants as true partners (D'Amour, Ferrada-Videla, San Martin Rodriguez, & Beaulieu, 2005). In a fully integrated and coordinated care chain, the persons must be treated as equal partners in the team and person involvement must be promoted (Vestergaard & Nørgaard, 2018). As such, coordinated care chains with a person-centred approach have shown to be beneficial among frail older persons such as in improving activities of daily living (Eklund, Wilhelmson, Landahl, & Ivanoff-Dahlin, 2016).…”

“…To obtain a picture of the needs of the person that is as comprehensive and nuanced as possible, the people working closest to that person such as nurse aids and relatives must be understood and listened to. Westergaard et al (Vestergaard & Nørgaard, 2018) pinpoint the importance of focusing on the hierarchic structures in order to promote interprofessional teamwork on equal terms. The person-centred approach (Ekman et al, 2011), with all people working around the person under assessment are given equal value, even if they do not possess the legitimate authority to determine the need, is therefore important.…”

The Effects of Interprofessional Education in Mental Health Practice: Findings from a Systematic Review

“…The preponderance of publications from this period may reflect the WHO's repeated calls for improved collaboration among mental healthcare professionals and governmental policies over the preceding 10 years [4]. The same period also saw increasing evidence that collaborative mental healthcare is capable of improving the quality of services [3][4][5]9].…”

“…Interprofessional collaboration has been promoted as an effective avenue to enhance the delivery of patient care [4][5][6]. However, the challenges of ensuring collaboration among team members in mental health are well testified [3,7].…”