Abstract
Interprofessional health and social service partnerships (IHSSP) are internationally acknowledged as integral for comprehensive chronic illness care. However, the evidence-base for partnership effectiveness is lacking. This paper aims to clarify partnership measurement issues, conceptualize IHSSP at the front-line staff level, and identify tools valid for group process measurement. A systematic literature review utilizing three interrelated searches was conducted. Thematic analysis techniques were supported by NVivo 7 software. Complexity theory was used to guide the analysis, ground the new conceptualization and validate the selected measures. Other properties of the measures were critiqued using established criteria. There is a need for a convergent view of what constitutes a partnership and its measurement. The salient attributes of IHSSP and their interorganizational context were described and grounded within complexity theory. Two measures were selected and validated for measurement of proximal group outcomes. This paper depicts a novel complexity theory-based conceptual model for IHSSP of front-line staff who provide chronic illness care. The conceptualization provides the underpinnings for a comprehensive evaluative framework for partnerships. Two partnership process measurement tools, the PSAT and TCI are valid for IHSSP process measurement with consideration of their strengths and limitations.
Highlights
Interprofessional health and social service partnerships (IHSSP) are internationally acknowledged as integral for comprehensive chronic illness care
This paper focuses on the conceptualization and measurement of interprofessional health and social service partnerships (IHSSP) at the front-line, service provider group level
Support for IHSSP is so strong in the UK that the National Health Service has legislation requiring mandatory health and social service partnerships to break down traditional disciplinary barriers to collaboration w14, 15x
Summary
Interprofessional health and social service partnerships (IHSSP) are internationally acknowledged as integral for comprehensive chronic illness care. Conclusion: This paper depicts a novel complexity theory-based conceptual model for IHSSP of front-line staff who provide chronic illness care. This paper focuses on the conceptualization and measurement of interprofessional health and social service partnerships (IHSSP) at the front-line, service provider group level. The multiple and often complex needs of populations affected by the epidemic of chronic illnesses require approaches that include both health and social services, and extend beyond traditional acute episodic health care and the services of any single organization w4–9x. Clients with chronic hepatitis C, a chronic infectious illness spread by blood-to-blood contact, present with multiple and changing needs associated with the disease and compounded by social, economic and psychological factors w22, 23x Responses to these needs increase partnership linkages, through social services, to other human services representing the broad determinants of health such as welfare, employment, and wage replacement w24x
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