Inter-Professional Collaboration
Most healthcare workers obtained their education solely with others pursuing the same profession leaving them unexperienced in working as part of an integrated team. The concept of inter-professional collaboration can be traced back to 1972 when it's predecessor, team-based care was introduced by the Institute of Medicine. Inter-professional collaboration was designed to remove those silos and encourage a collaborative effort towards patient care that considers the perspective of other healthcare disciplines. Inter-professional collaboration among healthcare providers provides a comprehensive, holistic approach to patient care across disciplines that is aimed at improving patient safety, outcomes, and reducing health care costs. The collective skills of the inter-professional team allow for a higher delivery of care because the team functions in a more efficient manner than a single discipline alone. Inter-professional aims to address the inherent power struggles encountered between professions when attempting to provide care and change the current culture to a more interactive one. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation states
“Effective interprofessional collaboration promotes the active participation of each discipline in patient care, where all disciplines are working together and fully engaging patients and those who support them, and leadership on the team adapts based on patient needs … It fosters respect for the disciplinary contributions of all professionals.”(RWJF, 2011)
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Nurse Case Management: Setting New Standards for Transitional Care
The proposed evidence-based change in clinical practice is the implementation of an enhanced Nurse Case Management program based on Naylor’s Transitional Care Model within the ambulatory care management department at Rochester Regional Health. Naylor’s model is a patient-centered, nurse-led model designed specifically for the improved management of patient transitions across settings during an acute phase of illness. Naylor’s model includes a comprehensive approach to case management incorporating a structured approach, along with the use of evidence-based assessment tools, to shape how care is provided. By nature, the practice of case management requires an inter-professional collaborative process, directed by the nurse, to improve patient outcomes. Implementation of this proposal will also require collaboration among a team of health care professionals. Members of this team include the Vice President and Manager of the Case Management Department, CNO of Ambulatory Nursing, Medical Director of Primary Care, Nurse Educator, IT professionals and the Finance department. The graphic provided indicates their rationale for be included on the team.
Importance & Value of Inter-Professional Collaboration
The relationship of quality and safety to communication has been highlighted in several reports authored by the Institute of Medicine. If healthcare teams do not communicate and collaborate their performance and ultimately patient care and outcomes, will suffer. The ability to attain the quadruple aim of healthcare requires that health professionals shift their focus towards collaborative relationships, sharing information, and partnering in a respectful environment rather than operating in silo's. In an increasingly complex and changing healthcare environment, inter-professional collaboration should be the expectation, not the exception.
Additional Learning & Resources
A useful, evidence-based approach that promotes communication and team work skills among health care professions
References
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (2011). What can be done to encourage more interprofessional collaboration in healthcare? Retrieved from https://www.rwjf.org/en/library/research/2011/09/what-can-be-done-to-encourage-more-interprofessional-collaborati.html
Tigerconnect Healthcare(2019). 5 Benefits of interprofessional collaboration in healthcare. Retrieved from https://tigerconnect.com/blog/5-benefits-of-interprofessional-collaboration-in-healthcare/
Vega, C.P. & Bernard, A. (2016). Interprofessional collaboration to improve health care: An introduction. Retrieved from https://www.medscape.org/viewarticle/857823
