Lessons from the Field: Promising Interprofessional Collaboration

Summary

The video highlights the importance of interprofessional collaboration in healthcare, showcasing practices from various organizations that emphasize teamwork across different disciplines. The focus is on improving patient outcomes, enhancing care quality, and creating healthier communities by promoting active participation from healthcare professionals, patients, and families. Examples from hospitals, clinics, and community health centers illustrate the success of shared workspaces, collaborative training, and effective communication in achieving better care. This approach, along with respect for each role in the healthcare process, results in improved satisfaction for both providers and patients.

Takeaways

• 😀 Interprofessional collaboration is crucial for healthcare teams, involving physicians, nurses, pharmacists, respiratory therapists, residents, students, patients, and their families.
• 😀 Simulation centers, like those at Cincinnati Children's Hospital, train healthcare teams together once a month, emphasizing collaboration between different specialties.
• 😀 Community Health Centers utilize shared electronic health records to enhance collaboration between healthcare providers and improve patient care.
• 😀 Research from the Robert W. Johnson Foundation identified promising practices for interprofessional collaboration in healthcare, aimed at providing better care and healthier communities.
• 😀 Effective interprofessional collaboration improves patient outcomes, as demonstrated through therapies like therapeutic hypothermia and proning.
• 😀 Changing the culture within healthcare units requires everyone working together, feeling valued, and respecting each other’s input.
• 😀 Shared workspaces in healthcare, like pods, foster collaboration and reduce isolation, enhancing overall vitality in primary care settings.
• 😀 Health systems that integrate medical, dental, and behavioral health into shared platforms provide seamless patient care and increase efficiency in addressing various health needs.
• 😀 Regular meetings and open dialogue between CNOs, CMOs, and other healthcare leaders are essential to maintaining collaboration and improving patient care.
• 😀 The Virginia Mason Health System’s patient-centered approach places the patient at the top of their operational strategy, which leads to better outcomes and improved satisfaction.

Q & A

What is the primary focus of interprofessional collaboration in healthcare?

The primary focus is to ensure active participation of each discipline in patient care, where all professionals, including physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and others, work together to fully engage patients and their support systems, ultimately improving health outcomes.

How do healthcare professionals collaborate at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital?

At the University of Pennsylvania Hospital, healthcare professionals, including physicians, nurses, pharmacists, respiratory therapists, residents, students, patients, and families, participate together in rounds to ensure comprehensive patient care.

What is the significance of shared electronic health records in community health centers?

Shared electronic health records in community health centers facilitate collaboration by allowing healthcare providers from different disciplines (such as medical, dental, and behavioral health) to access and update the same patient information, leading to more coordinated and informed care.

What role does leadership play in interprofessional collaboration?

Leadership on interprofessional teams adapts based on patient needs, ensuring that all team members feel valued and respected, which fosters an environment of collaboration where everyone can contribute to decision-making and patient care.

What did the Robert W. Johnson Foundation aim to achieve with interprofessional collaboration?

The foundation aimed to identify promising practices for interprofessional collaboration to help healthcare organizations provide the best possible care, creating healthier communities and advancing a culture of health.

What are some examples of successful interprofessional practices in healthcare?

Examples include programs like therapeutic hypothermia, where pharmacists, physicians, and nurses collaborate to deliver life-saving treatments, and proning, a technique to improve oxygenation in severely hypoxic patients.

How does the concept of pods improve collaboration in healthcare settings?

Pods, or shared workspaces, enable healthcare providers to work in closer proximity, facilitating more direct communication and collaboration. This setup also creates an environment where providers can access real-time data and consult specialists, making the overall healthcare process more efficient.

What is the importance of modeling interprofessional collaboration behavior?

Modeling interprofessional collaboration behavior, especially by leaders, is crucial for encouraging others in the organization to engage in collaborative practices. This behavior sets an example for front-line leaders and staff, ensuring that everyone works together effectively.

How does Virginia Mason Health System prioritize patient care?

Virginia Mason Health System prioritizes patient care by placing patients at the top of the pyramid of strategic goals, emphasizing the importance of putting patients and families first to enable effective interprofessional collaboration and improve health outcomes.

What impact did interprofessional collaboration have on Cystic Fibrosis care at Virginia Mason Health System?

Interprofessional collaboration led to a significant improvement in Cystic Fibrosis care, reducing the gap in care quality from 16% to 4%, and increased the number of days without the need for glucagon injections, ultimately enhancing patient outcomes and efficiency.