Differing Professional Perspectives on the Interprofessional Collaboration in IPUs: A Mixed-methods Study

International Journal of Integrated Care, vol. 23, pp. 5

Abstract

Introduction: An important aspect of Value-Based Healthcare (VBHC) is providing the full cycle of care for a specific medical condition through interprofessional collaboration. This requires employees from diverse professional backgrounds to interact, but there is limited knowledge on how professionals perceive such interprofessional collaboration. We aimed to provide insight into how different professionals perceive Integrated Practice Unit (IPU) composition and what factors influence the quality of interprofessional collaboration within IPUs. Methods: A survey was administered to employees from different professional backgrounds (medical specialists, nurses, allied health professionals, administrative employees) working in IPUs to assess their perception of the composition of their IPU and the quality of the interactions. Subsequently, semi-structured interviews were conducted to gain a deeper understanding of the findings of the survey. Results: Medical specialists and nurses were most frequently considered to be part of an IPU and indicated that they have high quality interactions. Allied health professionals were less often considered part of the team by all other professional groups and all report low quality interaction with this group. The extent to which a professional group is perceived as a team member depends on their visibility, involvement in the treatment of the patient, and shared interest. Differences in the quality of interprofessional collaboration are influenced by organizational structures, knowledge of each other's expertise, and by ways of communication. Conclusions: In VBHC, there seems to be a lack of common perception of an IPU's composition and a failure to always achieve high quality interprofessional collaboration. Given the importance of interprofessional collaboration in VBHC, effort should be invested in achieving a shared understanding and improved collaboration.

Authors 6

1. Dorine J. van Staalduinen corresponding Aachen Medical Decision Making Department of Biomedical Data Sciences Institute of Public Administration

   Leiden University · Leiden University Medical Center

   Affiliation as printed

   Medical Decision Making, Department of Biomedical Data Sciences, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA, Leiden, The Netherlands

   Institute of Public Administration, Leiden University, Turfmarkt 99, 2511 DP, Den Haag

   Medical Decision Making, Department of Biomedical Data Sciences, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA, Leiden

2. Petra van den Bekerom Aachen Institute of Public Administration

   Leiden University

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Public Administration, Leiden University, Turfmarkt 99, 2511 DP, Den Haag, The Netherlands

3. Sandra M. Groeneveld corresponding Aachen Institute of Public Administration

   Leiden University

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Public Administration, Leiden University, Turfmarkt 99, 2511 DP, Den Haag, The Netherlands

   Institute of Public Administration, Leiden University, Turfmarkt 99, 2511 DP, Den Haag

4. Arie Franx corresponding

   Erasmus MC

   Affiliation as printed

   Erasmus University Medical Center, Doctor Molewaterplein 40, 3015 GD, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

   Erasmus University Medical Center, Doctor Molewaterplein 40, 3015 GD, Rotterdam

5. Anne Margarethe Stiggelbout corresponding Aachen Medical Decision Making Department of Biomedical Data Sciences

   Leiden University Medical Center · Erasmus MC · Erasmus University Rotterdam

   Affiliation as printed

   Erasmus University Medical Center, Doctor Molewaterplein 40, 3015 GD, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

   Medical Decision Making, Department of Biomedical Data Sciences, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA, Leiden, The Netherlands

   Erasmus School of Health Policy & Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Burgemeester Oudlaan 50, 3062 PA, Rotterdam

   Medical Decision Making, Department of Biomedical Data Sciences, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA, Leiden

6. M. Elske van den Akker‐van Marle corresponding Aachen Medical Decision Making Department of Biomedical Data Sciences

   Leiden University Medical Center

   Affiliation as printed

   Medical Decision Making, Department of Biomedical Data Sciences, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA, Leiden, The Netherlands

   Medical Decision Making, Department of Biomedical Data Sciences, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA, Leiden