Abstract
Introduction:Primary care is increasingly being confronted with complex health care demands stemming from both biomedical and psychosocial problems of people with chronic diseases. Interprofessional collaboration is needed to enhance person-centredness and coordinate care provision in an efficient manner, which should eventually result in high-quality and integrated care. In primary care, collaboration often occurs through periodic interprofessional team (IPT) meetings. We have developed a multifaceted programme (including a reflection framework, training activities and a toolbox) to enhance team functioning in terms of improved person-centredness and efficiency of meetings. The aim of this study was to evaluate the perceived suitability and potential impact of this programme. Eventually, findings of this evaluation should contribute to understanding the suitability of the programme and optimizing its design.Methods:A prospective process evaluation was conducted, using a mixed-methods approach. Six primary care IPTs participated. Data collection included observations of team meetings, semi-structured interviews with team chairpersons, a focus group meeting, and a questionnaire for all team members. Qualitative data were analysed using directed content analysis and quantitative data using descriptive statistics.Results:The results show that, on the whole, the programme was appreciated. Most progress was perceived regarding structure and organization. Chairs perceived increased awareness of person-centredness and team processes. They perceived the training activities as useful and instructive, and valued peer feedback and on-the-job coaching as the most effective strategies. Findings from the questionnaire showed a tendency in the desired direction for all variables.Conclusion:To conclude, the programme can be considered as a suitable approach for improving team functioning. However, enhancing person-centredness requires additional training/practice and on-the-job coaching. Lastly, the programme should be context-specific, flexible in use, and preferably delivered and mediated by an external facilitator at the workplace.
Highlights
Primary care is increasingly being confronted with complex health care demands stemming from both biomedical and psychosocial problems of people with chronic diseases
interprofessional collaboration (IPC) is perceived as an ongoing interpersonal process of shared goal setting and decision making, which occurs among professionals from a diversity of disciplines, and a patient system to optimize the management of chronic disease [5]
At the level of individual items, the highest absolute increase, 0.71, was found for question 45: ‘The way we work during team meetings can be considered efficient’. This process evaluation has yielded insights into the suitability and potential impact of a programme intended to improve the functioning of interprofessional team (IPT) meetings in primary care, focusing on five main objectives for improvement: (1) knowing each other personally, (2) clear structure and organization, (3) person-centredness, (4) feedback and team reflexivity, and (5) chairing meetings and guiding team development
Summary
Primary care is increasingly being confronted with complex health care demands stemming from both biomedical and psychosocial problems of people with chronic diseases. Collaboration often occurs through periodic interprofessional team (IPT) meetings. We have developed a multifaceted programme (including a reflection framework, training activities and a toolbox) to enhance team functioning in terms of improved person-centredness and efficiency of meetings. Chairs perceived increased awareness of person-centredness and team processes. They perceived the training activities as useful and instructive, and valued peer feedback and on-the-job coaching as the most effective strategies. In the Dutch primary care setting, IPC often takes place through periodic interprofessional team (IPT) meetings. These meetings vary in terms of setting, duration, frequency, number of participants, disciplines and numbers of patients discussed. Based on a needs assessment encompassing various qualitative studies [6,7,8,9] and a scoping review [10], we concluded that there is room to improve the function-
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