Week 5 - Interprofessional Collaboration

Question 1

What is an Interprofessional Case Conference

Answer 1

Discussion between team professionals, an exchange of information with the goal of enhancing coordination and reducing duplication of services.

Question 2

What is Interprofessional collaboration?

Answer 2

Partnerships between team of health providers and patients. Collaborative and coordinated approach to shared decision making around health -related issues.

Question 3

Why is interprofessional collaboration important?

Answer 3

Enhances service delivery
Increased consumer satisfaction
Improves clinical outcomes
Utilizes knowledge and strengths of each profession
Consistent information
Avoids fragmentation and duplication of services

Question 4

Organisational Barriers to Interprofessional Collaboration

Answer 4

• Lack of knowledge and appreciation of the roles of other health professionals
• The need to make compelling arguments for team building to senior decision-makers (it only works well if you are a cohesive team and have time to build a team dynamic)
• Lack of outcomes research on collaboration
• Financial and regulatory constraints (can save money but can also cost money, it takes time)
• Legal issues of scope of practice and liability (making sure that we aren’t going outside our scope of practice and who is liable for what)
• Reimbursement structures for different professions, including which services receive reimbursement (finance can be a big issue)
• Hierarchical administration and educational structures that discourage interprofessional collaboration. (Doctors are at the top)

Question 5

Team Barriers to Interprofessional Collaboration

Answer 5

• Lack of clearly stated, shared, and measurable purpose
• Lack of training in interprofessional collaboration
• Role and leadership ambiguity
• Team too large or too small
• Team not composed of appropriate professions (role clarity, who is the leader? Groups need a leader)
• Lack of appropriate mechanism for timely exchange of information (and information transferred securely)
• Need for orientation for new members
• Lack of framework for problem discovery and resolution (conflict)
• Different levels of authority, power, expertise, income
• Difficulty in engaging the community
• Traditions/professional cultures, particularly medicine’s history of hierarchy (can be problematic)
• Lack of commitment of team members
• Different goals of individual team members
• Apathy of team members
• Inadequate decision making
• Conflict regarding individual relationships to the patient/client

Question 6

Individual Barriers to Interprofessional Collaboration

Answer 6

• Split loyalties between team and own discipline (as a psychologist we do it this way, but in a team we do it this way)
• Multiple responsibilities and job titles (different philosophies, different training)
• Competition, naivete
• Gender, race, or class-based prejudice
• Persistence of a defensive attitude
• Reluctance to accept suggestions form team members representing other professions
• Lack of trust in the collaborative process

Question 7

How to Facilitate Interprofessional Collaboration

Answer 7

Learn about your own profession.
- Develop a clear understanding of (and the ability to be able to communicate about) the unique contributions you can make: educational background scope of practice, areas of strength and limitations, competencies

Learn about other professions.
- Seek to develop a clear understand of other members unique contributions: educational background, scope of practice, areas of strength and limitations, competencies

Recognise that in health care there is often an overlap in scope and practice and in some competencies

Don’t forget the client (and family/community) and the importance of culture