Intraprofessional collaboration and learning between specialists and general practitioners during postgraduate training: a qualitative study.

Loes J Meijer,Mirjam Blaauw-Westerlaken,Esther De Groot,Roger A M J Damoiseaux

doi:10.1186/s12913-016-1619-8

Loes J Meijer, Mirjam Blaauw-Westerlaken + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-016-1619-8

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Abstract

BackgroundDuring postgraduate training, general practitioners and other specialists must learn how to deliver shared care to patients; however, the development of formal intraprofessional education is often hampered by curricular constraints. Delivering shared care in everyday work provides trainees with opportunities for informal learning from, about and with one another.MethodsTwelve semi-structured interviews were undertaken with trainee general practitioners and specialists (internal medicine or surgery). A thematic analysis of the input was undertaken and a qualitative description developed.ResultsTrainees from different disciplines frequently interact, often by telephone, but generally they learn in a reactive manner. All trainees are highly motivated by the desire to provide good patient care. Specialist trainees learn about the importance of understanding the background of the patient from GPs, while GP trainees gain medical knowledge from the interaction. Trainees from different disciplines are not very motivated to build relationships with each other and have fewer opportunities to do so. Supervisors can play an important role in providing intraprofessional learning opportunities for trainees.ConclusionsDuring postgraduate training, opportunities for intraprofessional learning occur, but there is much room for improvement. For example, supervisors could increase the involvement of trainees in collaborative tasks and create more awareness of informal learning opportunities. This could assist trainees to learn collaborative skills that will enhance patient care.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12913-016-1619-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Highlights

During postgraduate training, general practitioners and other specialists must learn how to deliver shared care to patients; the development of formal intraprofessional education is often hampered by curricular constraints
It is of importance to explore whether and how general practitioner trainees (GP trainees) and specialist trainees work together to deliver shared care, what role qualified specialists and GPs play during their training and whether trainees value these moments of collaboration as learning opportunities
In this study we evaluate whether and how intraprofessional collaboration (IPC) takes place for GP and specialist trainees and how trainees learn from professionals of another medical discipline

Summary

Introduction

General practitioners and other specialists must learn how to deliver shared care to patients; the development of formal intraprofessional education is often hampered by curricular constraints. It is often difficult to incorporate formal intraprofessional education (IPE) into the curriculum [5,6,7]. It is of importance to explore whether and how general practitioner trainees (GP trainees) and specialist trainees work together to deliver shared care, what role qualified specialists and GPs play during their training and whether trainees value these moments of collaboration as learning opportunities. On this basis, informal intraprofessional learning (IPL) might be improved, leading to the enhancement of shared care delivery by specialists and general practitioners

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