Catalyzing and sustaining communities of collaboration around interprofessional care: An evaluation of four educational programs

• Published in: Journal of interprofessional care 2008-06, Vol.22 (3), p.317-319
• Main Authors: Egan-Lee, Eileen, Hollenberg, Elisa, Dematteo, Dale, Tobin, Stasey, Oandasan, Ivy, Beduz, Mary-Agnes, Kwan, Debbie, Leslie, Karen, Lee, Jacques, Tassone, Maria, Merkley, Jane, Lingard, Lorelei, Sinclair, Lynne, Lowe, Mandy, Nashman, Danny, Creede, Cate, Day, Doreen, Silver, Ivan, Reeves, Scott
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Canada; Collaboration; Cooperative Behavior; Curriculum; Health Personnel - organization & administration; Health professionals; Health sciences; Hospitals, Teaching - organization & administration; Humans; Interdisciplinary Communication; Interdisciplinary education; Interviews as Topic; Ontario; Professional knowledge; Program Evaluation; Surveys and Questionnaires
• ISSN: 1356-1820; 1469-9567
• DOI: 10.1080/13561820801886669

Given the complexity of patients' needs & a shifting health care environment, effective interprofessional collaboration (IPC) is regarded by many as essential to the delivery of high quality patient care (e.g., Health Canada, 2003; Department of Health, 2002). Interprofessional relationships can, however, be undermined by boundary infringements, a lack of understanding of one another's roles, limited communication & poorly coordinated teamwork (e.g., Reeves & Lewin, 2004). Interprofessional education (IPE) is increasingly being seen as a key approach to improving poor collaboration (e.g., Health Canada, 2003; Department of Health, 2002). It is argued that because professionals have been traditionally trained in isolation from one another they are often not equipped with the attitudes, skills or knowledge to work effectively in interprofessional teams. IPE for both students & professionals is advocated as a way to address this problem. A growing body of evidence, generated from systematic review work (e.g., Barr et al., 2005) has indicated that IPE can help foster a range of attributes required for effective collaboration. To encourage health care workers in Ontario, Canada to work collaboratively to improve job satisfaction, achieve efficiencies within the health care system & enhance the delivery of patient care, the Ministry of Health & Long Term Care funded a number of projects under their "Interprofessional, Mentoring, Preceptorship, Leadership & Coaching" fund. This paper describes one of these projects -- "Catalyzing & Sustaining Communities of Collaboration around Interprofessional Care." The project involved a coordinated effort amongst the health science disciplines at the University of Toronto & the 13 teaching hospitals in the Toronto Academic Health Sciences Network (TAHSN), making it the first of its kind to promote IPC across TAHSN. The goal of the project was to foster knowledge, awareness, & skills for interprofessional practice through which momentum for IPE & IPC can be sustained. To achieve these goals, the project entailed a close collaboration between health care professionals, administrators & researchers affiliated with these hospitals. Adapted from the source document.