Abstract
The inclusion of pharmacists into general practices has expanded in Australia. However, there is a paucity of research examining interprofessional collaboration and team effectiveness after including a pharmacist into the general practice team in primary or community care. This is a protocol for a cross-national comparative mixed-methods study to (i) investigate interprofessional collaboration and team effectiveness within the general practice team after employing pharmacists in general practices in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and (ii) to compare interprofessional collaboration and team effectiveness of pharmacists in general practice across Australia with international sites. The first objective will be addressed through a multiphase sequential explanatory mixed-method design, using surveys and semi-structured interviews. The study will recruit general practice pharmacists, general practitioners, and other health professionals from eight general practices in the ACT. Quantitative and qualitative results will be merged during interpretation to provide complementary perspectives of interprofessional collaboration. Secondly, a quantitative descriptive design will compare findings on interprofessional collaboration (professional interactions, relationship initiation, exchange characteristics, and commitment to collaboration) and team effectiveness of general practice pharmacists in Australia with international sites from Canada and the United Kingdom. The results of the study will be used to provide recommendations on how to best implement the role of general practice pharmacists across Australia.
Highlights
In Australia, general practice clinics are often the frontline primary health care service, with almost 90% of the population visiting a general medical practitioner at least once each year [1]
The aim of this study is to evaluate interprofessional collaboration and team effectiveness after the inclusion of pharmacists into the general practice team
This study aims to assess (i) changes in interprofessional collaboration over time, (ii) the facilitators/barriers for developing interprofessional collaboration, and (iii) the level of team effectiveness in general practice teams following the inclusion of pharmacists into general practice in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT)
Summary
In Australia, general practice clinics are often the frontline primary health care service, with almost 90% of the population visiting a general medical practitioner at least once each year [1]. General practices in the UK and Canada provide integrated care for their patients: they include general practitioners/family physicians, nurses or nurse practitioners, and at least one other allied health professional such as dietician or psychologist [51,52]. They have included pharmacists into their teams to work directly with general practitioners/physicians, other health care professionals, and patients with the aim of optimizing patients’ medication regimens, health outcomes, and coordination of care [24,26]. This cross-national comparative mixed-method study has been designed comprising two parts, Part A and B
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