Organization and system theories in interprofessional research: a scoping review

"We're all truly pulling in the exact same direction": A qualitative study of attending and resident physician impressions of structured bedside interdisciplinary rounds

BACKGROUND

Physicians often hold leadership roles in implementing interdisciplinary rounds (IDR) in clinical settings, thus understanding physician perspectives of bedside IDR is crucial.

OBJECTIVE

To understand physicians' perspectives of structured bedside IDR.

DESIGN

Qualitative descriptive study.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

Medical and transitional year resident and hospitalist physicians participating in structured bedside IDR in a community teaching hospital affiliated with a large academic center.

METHODS

We conducted semi-structured interviews and focus groups with study participants about their experiences with participating in structured bedside IDR between July 2017 and April 2018. All interviews were recorded and professionally transcribed. We used thematic analysis to identify key themes.

RESULTS

We interviewed 41 resident physicians and 10 hospitalist physicians and discovered five key themes that highlight physician impressions of bedside IDR. Bedside IDR decreased unnecessary care, screened for risks/errors, created a shared mental model of care, and increased physician empathy for the patient and the interprofessional care team. Physicians felt patients valued the streamlined communication they experienced but questioned the intrusiveness of large healthcare teams. Challenges to bedside IDR included the meaningful engagement of key stakeholders and, particularly for resident physicians, the difficultly of managing unstandardized communication in a standardized time-sensitive setting.

CONCLUSIONS

Structured bedside IDR have the capacity to improve patient care, interprofessional teamwork, and physician empathy for patients and the interprofessional team. However, sustained leadership support and clearly defined rounds goals and objectives are necessary ingredients to maximize the benefits and address the challenges of bedside IDR.

Enhancing interprofessional education readiness in undergraduate dental students: a scenario-based peer learning programme

BACKGROUND

Interprofessional Education (IPE) is an educational approach that brings together students from different healthcare professions to foster collaborative learning and teamwork. Before integrating IPE into the curriculum of health preprofessional students, it is necessary to increase their readiness for IPE. Dentistry increasingly values interprofessional collaboration and teamwork for enhanced patient care and healthcare team competencies, an emphasis also echoed by recent dental education authorities. The aim of this quasi-experimental research was to assess the influence of Scenario Based Learning Peer Learning (SBPL) programme, which involved scenarios necessitating interprofessional communication, on the readiness for IPE among a cohort of undergraduate dental students studying within the framework of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA).

METHODS

This study investigates undergraduate dental students' readiness for IPE and the influence of SBPL programme on their readiness. Participants (n = 25) from 18 EHEA countries completed the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) before and after SBPL programme, held at the 70th European Dental Students' Association (EDSA) meeting. Data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test (p = 0.05).

RESULTS

After the SBPT programme, there was a statistically significant increase (p < 0.05) in the mean of the total scale, teamwork and collaboration, roles and responsibilities and professional identity subscale. In general, SBPL programme showed a constructive effect on interprofessional readiness. Although there was no statistically significant increase only in items 9,12,18 of the 19 items of the RIPLS, there was an increase in the averages in all except item 12.

CONCLUSION

Our research emphasizes the importance of diverse perspectives and IPE in the realm of dental education. Within the limits of this study, it showcases the efficacy of a brief half-day SBPL programme with interprofessional scenarios in enhancing participants' readiness. The programme notably enhanced dental students' readiness in grasping crucial aspects of IPE: teamwork and collaboration, professional identity, and roles and responsibilities. However, this study does not delve into the potential impact of a comprehensive, long-term curriculum integrating IPE principles. This gap underscores the need for further exploration into the sustained influence of IPE on the interprofessional skills of dental school graduates.

Viewing interprofessional collaboration through the lens of networked ecological systems theory

Interprofessional collaboration (IPC) is key to ensuring safe quality care for patients. However, IPC intervention outcomes are variable, leading to calls for systems theories to understand complex interactions in healthcare. Using networked ecological systems theory (NEST), we aimed to uncover facilitators and barriers impacting the interactions between nurses and physicians in a specialty healthcare center. A qualitative study involving 55 non-participant observations and 17 individual semi-structured interviews was conducted at the National Neuroscience Institute of Singapore from April 2019 to March 2021. Template analysis was used to analyze the data. The most important IPC facilitators were exosystemic institutional support and physicians' willingness to engage in IPC in the microsystems that together enabled the establishment of disease-based outpatient programs fostering patient-centered interactions among different healthcare professionals (HCP). We also found that patient-, disease-, and systems-related knowledge played an important role in facilitating IPC. Macrosystemic entrenchments such as intraprofessional composition of ward rounds emerged as a significant barrier. However, microsystemic efforts such as chat groups connecting all HCP involved in the care of the patients in the wards have fostered IPC. Although still preliminary, these findings suggest NEST can be useful to inform systematic interventions to improve IPC.

Dealing with Discontinuity in Cancer Care Trajectories: Patients' Solutions

Introduction

Patients with cancer require specialized care from different care providers, challenging continuity of care in terms of information, relationships, and/or management. The recognition of discontinuity of care has led to different initiatives by the healthcare system over the years. Yet, making use of the theory on boundary objects and brokers, this research explores the active role of patients themselves in resolving discontinuity along their care trajectories.

Methods

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 33 patients to unravel the discontinuities that they experience and their attempts to resolve these. Interview data were analyzed using directed-content analysis informed by concepts from boundary crossing literature (i.e., data were searched for potential boundary objects and brokers).

Results

To re-establish continuity of care, patients actively use the objects and people provided by the healthcare system when these meet their needs. Patients also introduce own objects and people into the care trajectory. As such, information and management discontinuity can typically be resolved. Relational continuity appears to be more difficult to resolve, in some cases leaving patients to take drastic measures, such as changing care providers.

Discussion

The use of boundary crossing theory in improving care from a patient perspective is relatively novel. When patients and providers together address the objects and people that support establishing continuity of care, a continuous care process may be encouraged. We advocate an integrated approach, rather than provider or healthcare system initiatives exclusively, to patient care and continuity.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40271-021-00535-x.

Inside-out: normalising practice-based IPE

Practice-based interprofessional education (IPE), a key feature in developing a collaboration-ready workforce, is poorly integrated in healthcare curriculums. This study aimed to synthesise educator perspectives on implementing practice-based IPE and develop recommendations to inform sustainable practice-based IPE. An ethnographic case study was carried out at a school of allied health. Data collection involved six observations, 11 interviews and a review of eight documents. Reflexive thematic analysis, informed by Normalisation Process Theory, established two key themes. First, we found that strategic planning is needed, with a coherent implementation agenda and planned reflection on activities. Second, building partnerships with placement partners was identified as essential. This can be achieved by supporting and championing practice-based IPE activities developed by placement sites and establishing how university and clinical educators can work collaboratively to deliver sustainable practice-based IPE. These conditions create a favourable environment for normalising practice-based IPE in healthcare curriculums, benefitting students, patients, and the overall healthcare service.

Top tips for interprofessional education and collaborative practice research: a guide for students and early career researchers

Interprofessional research within the contexts of education and health and social care practice has grown exponentially within the past three decades. To maintain the momentum of high-quality research, it is important that early career researchers embarking on their first research journey and new to interprofessional education or interprofessional collaborative practice feel supported in making their contribution to the field. This guide, developed by the Center for the Advancement of Interprofessional Education (CAIPE) Research Group, has been written with these groups in mind who are embarking on their first research journey, and new to the interprofessional field. It aims to raise awareness of academic resources and share practical advice from those who have previously experienced problems when undertaking interprofessional research in education or health and social care practice.