The Purpose,Scope and Context of Interprofessional Collaboration - Essay Example

Interprofessional collaboration is a systematic partnership and networking of stakeholders to work together as like-minded members of organization, e.g. nurses, to improve and enhance its educative levels using empirical researches and new learning sourced from expert co-workers for organizational and professional growth (Yan, Gilbert & Hoffman, 2007, p. 588-589). In working with my team, I learned that through closer collaboration, medical practitioners share their experiences, insights, and exchange/write journals in order to improve healthcare services for quality life. We are able to have in-depth discourse about our careers, performances viz the standards and the necessities that can be resolve through complementation, co-optation , ventures, and through resource-sharing (Howskin & Bray, 2008, p. 8). This paper is a personal learning and reflection of this health service provider about interprofessional education, collaboration and working while working with teammates. This interprofessional collaboration is happening among professionals, organizations, service users, carers and communities (Caipe, 2012), p. 1). The association of health providers work over critical matters on education, health and social care to deliver the necessary quality services to improve peoples’ quality of lives and for healthier communities (Frost & Robinson, 2007, pp. 184-199). Among the many concerns they dealt are issues on nutrition, public health, policies, medical standards, medication of all illnesses or on the need to strategize development to better social services in complementation of health responses to communities (Reeves, Goldman, Oandasan, 2007, pp. 231-235). Consideration of the nature of communication within health & social care teams.  Communication is fundamental interaction and in nurturing understanding between the management, health providers, and with the patients (Hena & Dickinson, 2005, pp. 480-491). People who are seeking medical attention came from varied experiences, places, and bear different kinds of illnesses and thus, it is important that all of these are communicated so that the contexts, causes and surrounding circumstances of a case can be understood (Freeth, Hammick, Koppel, & Reeves, 2005, p. 8). Appropriate medical remedies can only be provided when health cases are clear from all vantages (Barr, Koppel, Reevas, Hammick & FReeth, 2005, pp. 1-6) Communication is an interpersonal skill which capacitates us to interact with varied persons and permeates us to successfully understand them. It’s only through communication that positive relationships with service users can be developed and their needs are completely understood. Communication also strengthens positive relation with co-workers and with management, especially in managing changes and health reform program (Meads & Ashcroft, 2005, p. 6; Loxley, 1997, p. 8). Information, advises, counsel, policy advocacy and reports are channelled through communication (Leathard, 2003, p. 2). In fact, people will only come to understand hospital’s goals and programs by imparting and receiving communication. Moreover, work relations can only be understood through communication. This can be done either formally and informally; verbal or written; recited or in a journal; online or via telephone; by facial expression or by symbol; and by raising a picture or by simple touch. It’s aimed at bridging gaps, resolving issues, bringing together all partners for a meeting, and drawing all stakeholders to specific goals or in delving on issues though evaluations and monitoring (Whitehead, Austin, & Hodges, 2011, pp. 681-694). Sometimes communications bring along with it some misunderstanding because human beings, as social persons, exchange ideas in foreign language, in a jargon, in emotional distress, or in cultural differences. But if used as tool for openness and clarification, questions can be answered, doubts are cleared, confusion are vivified, and misinterpretation can be overcome through listening. Effective communication is therefor necessary in medical practice. Of course, there are many challenges in delving into transcribed medical information from the symbolic interactionist purview so that language pattern can be understood between multidisciplinary and interprofessional teams (Priest, Roberts, Dents, Blincose, Lawton & Armstrong, 2008, pp. 474- 485) Contrasting differing professional perspectives / values / philosophies within teams.  Health providers in a collaborative partnership have different interpretation on realities based on their professional perspectives (Loxley, 1997, p. 1-8.)They have different valuing styles, and philosophies in life. As the team is always composed of multi-professional persons as model in health care service, they will also differ in many ways. Medical professionals are persons with distinct personalities, coming from different families, immersed in different cultures, and are moulded by different experiences (Loxley, 1997, p. 8). In hospitals where they are working, they also have different expertise although they may share similar effective forms of patient care management (Pearson & Spencer, 1995). They also deal with patients coming from multicultural backgrounds or sometimes providing care for those who are mentally challenged (Beyerlein, Johnson & Beyerlein, 2004 p. 1; Sheehan, Robertson, & Ormond, 2007). Indeed, working in a team allowed certain level of cohesiveness as more heads work to accomplish goals, but this is possible only when professional interaction and relation is sustained to pave for cooperation. Sometimes, a team may confront difficulties if the ideal and effective teamwork is apparently difficult to realize. This happens when some members of the team are less passionate to pursue teamwork or are disinterested but have relied to other members to accomplish a task. For some may militate and are uncompromising to work under team-based process, ergo, becomes barrier in misunderstanding and collaboration. Teamwork pose some congruence on how some of its many teams were interpreted as potentially compromising for understanding their different roles as this could, at times, aggravate underlying resentments, may demoralize professional esteem, and create unnecessary conflict (Pollard, Thomas, & Miers, 2010, p. 8). It is very significant therefor that teambuilding is created but the roles and expectations of each member are also clarified to ensure that although they may differ in world views, philosophies, behaviours, and expertise, they can optimize or harness the energy that can be generated from these differences (Barrett , Sellman & Thomas, 2005, 1-224). Two heads are better than one and many skills are about non-conventional diversity of expertise shared. Hence, it’s vital that these differences are appreciated and bridged by open communication. As team of health service providers, the diversity of skills, talents and capacities relate too to the need of inter-professional learning and sharing of experiences as wealth of resources in itself that can enhance health services (Pollard, Miers, & Rickasby, 2012). Experts are of the view that effective inter-professional teamwork can lead to shared vision, skilled communication, understanding of roles, and valuing all of these efforts. Consideration of power, structure and organization within health and social care teams and settings.  These expectations for reform in healthcare however are held by medical professionals that are exercising their profession in accordance to hierarchies of structures and power that provide directions to their norms, behaviours and work arrangements (Morison, Johnson, & Stevenson, 2010, pp. 412-421). This is because all health teams are subsumed under formal organizational structures that are imbued with vision, mission, goals, programs, and functions are geared toward the achievement of plans toward a desired outcome (Mizrachi & Shuval, 2005, pp. 1649-1660). Many decision-makings here pertaining to healthcare and organizational management are reliant on human resources employed to undertake all necessary operations to meet the needs of the organization and of served clients (or patients). Hence, in a hospital where the head nurse is part of the team , is often considered as the team leader and this provide a philosophical impetus that inter-professional collaboration and partnership are geared to the their understanding and performance of roles and tasks that have intrinsic values to the medical facility and to clients. The performance of these tasks are learning processes too for team players and are integrated in the exercise of their profession to elicit such commitment for collaborative healthcare and therapy. Through this, there is recognition to understand roles as professional contribution to the organization and as part of valuing the performances of each member of the team for their respective professional development and for the patient’s progress (Lloyd, 2007, pp. 485-494). These are philosophical thoughts underlying the medical profession as they work interdependently and based on shared values although they have autonomous power to make decisions (Kuper &Whitehead, 2012, pp. 347-349). It’s in this context that health professionals provide comprehensive care for patients for accurate diagnosis of illness and for better medical prescription. Hence, communicative process should be motivated to enable all departments within a clinic or a hospital open for collaborative undertakings. Albeit, inherent problems in communication, the team should maintain optimism to enjoy teamwork from a positivist vantage (Gieryn, 1983, p. 78). Reflect on your experiences of working within a team on-line.  Teamwork online is a new virtual expression of collaboration where groups or medical practitioners could set up its own website, develop online forum for interactive exchanges with clients and co-professionals (Baker, Egan-Lee, Martimianakis, & Reeve, 2011, p. 98). This is readily optimized to make experiences readable and accessible online for everyone to see and communicate. The medium of online teamwork, if everyone participates, could be an avenue for promotion and development of inter-professional education at a global scale although this remains to be developed as one of the many channels and infinite sources in the promotion of IPE in UK (Baldwin, 2007, p. 97-107). Online collaboration is also an integrated system that helps others get engaged into health profession and knowledge for improved accountability in sharing learning opportunities specially those who are still in medical schools undertaking formal education or are doing research (Blickem & Priyadharshini, 2007, p. 49-60). Experts in medical field and healthcare are also posting their journals and other research studies on critical issues confronting health and care management (Hoffman, Rosenfield, Gilbert & Oandasan, 2008, p. 654). Studies can be accessed as commercial or public information for subscription to broaden the impact of collaborative healthcare and other common causes. Indeed, the use of technology can become central in team communication as website and social networking sites can be venue for interactive discourse where queries on modern healthcare and reforms can be addressed or maybe just a simple venue for exchange of knowledge based on medical studies that are posted online for public reading. For instance, CAIPE (2012 )made in an online collaboration of medical and health carer experts that are composed of European Interprofessional Education Network (EIPEN), the International Association for Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice (InterEd) and the Network Towards Unity for Health (Network: TUFH) (p. 1). They work for collaborative system that bring all organizations the useful information through online portals of research and info-bulletins and published medical books in partnership with the Journal of Interprofessional Care. They developed a network in EU for effective educational curricula and other resources to improve collaboration of multi agencies for health and social care (CAIPE, 2012, p.1). Sourced information can be used for health related seminars, conferences, and trainings. Experts posit that CAIPE have contributed much researched information for modern healthcare and caregiving practices now adopted by many doctors, nurses, social workers and health professors (CAIPE, 2012, p.1). Another online site for collaborative practice is The International Association for Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practices that provides a system for interprofessional education and collaboration at a global scale that aims to develop a collective voice for mutual health-related discourse that is based in Canada (Intered, 2012, p. 1). Some of its discussion focused on health care policy and interprofessional agenda and education (Intered, 2012, p. 1; Dwyer, 2007, pp. 49-60). IPE is also present in Australia who organized an online collaboration of Australian Interprofessional Practice and Education Network with projects that are also extended to New Zealand (AIPPEN, 2012, p. 1). Some of their resources covered pertinent publications, presentations, videos and IP links (AIPPEN, 2012, p. 1). European Interprofessional Practice and Education Network (2012) in Europe also offer bulk of interprofessional modules, processes, and materials for medical practitioners whose membership welcome individual professionals aside from educational and clinical institutions (EIPEN, 2012, p. 1) but which subscribed to the charter of IPE in Europe (AIPPEN, 2012, p. 1). They advocated for a patient-centered and team-based approach for health care too (AIPPEN, 2012, p. 1). As one of the advocate and user of online information, it helped me strengthen my ties with other professionals and experts on medicines and nursing. The exchanges are far-reaching and many of these have elucidated empirical proofs of better approaches on medical and caregiving service. While information technology posed as an advanced mechanism for online collaboration and interaction, but there is also an inherent weaknesses attached to it. Technology requires constant upgrade and academic research require funding for the actual conduct of qualitative and quantitative studies before these are posted online for public consumption. Technology is also vulnerable to power outages, internet virus attack (which could ruin database), and require rigorous monitoring of communication or exchanges online that requires wifi or e-net access sustainability. But this is how the world operate nowadays and everyone needs to settle with info tech revolution. Moreover, UK medical practitioners bared that most of these studies relied on funding sourced from subscription and partners’ supports. Research is likewise both intensive and extensive, hence, call for an elaborate time of studies which may somehow affect work related concerns. What aspects of IP learning will I need to develop and take forward into my practice?  I believe there is significance to develop an IP learning for our local health service providers to strengthen our fragmented and disunified health workers. It’s good to aim at developing an inter-professional relations and education for nurses, midwives and with our two physicians that are general practitioners. I would like to develop and nurture the principles of bridging leadership and blend this with interprofessional education to inculcate open collaboration with co-workers. The core areas that I wish to improve or develop for future placements are a. Interprofessional education to improve the core competencies of health practitioners in our clinic with essential health curriculum that will cover strategies toward a patient-centered service; b. Interprofessional work to motivate my co-workers to sustain open communication and professional deal differences through dialogues and discourse; c. Interprofessional collaboration by availing seminars to improve health worker-and-patient communications and to capacitate co-workers to avail information that are accessible online for them to self-study and improve organizational relations or resolve organizational conflicts. References Caipe (2012). Caipe.org.uk. United Kingdom, p. 1 http://www.caipe.org.uk/about-us/ Accessed: 28 Nov. 2012. Intered (2012). Interedhearlth.org. United Kingdom, p. 1. . Accessed: 28 Nov. 2012. EIPEN (2012). http://www.eipen.eu/. United Kingdom, p. 1. Accessed: 28 Nov. 2012. AIPPEN (2012). Aippen.net. Australian Learning and Teaching Council, Australia. p. 1 http://www.aippen.net/publications#cultural. Accessed: 28 Nov. 2012. Baker, L., Egan-Lee, E., Martimianakis, M.A., & Reeves, S. (2011). Relationships of power: Implications for interprofessional education. Journal of Interprofessional Care, 25(2), 98–104 Baldwin, D.C. ( 2007). Territoriality and power in the health professions. Journal of Interprofessional Care  Suppl 1:97-107. Blickem, C. and Priyadharshini, E. (2007). Patient narratives: the potential for "patient-centred" interprofessional learning? Journal of Interprofessional Care J Interprof Care. 21(6):619-32. Dwyer, S. (2007) .The emotional impact of social work practice. Journal of Social Work Practice, vol. 21(1), pp.49-60 Frenk, J., Chen, L., Bhutta, Z.A., Cohen, J., Crisp, N., Evans, T., Fineberg, H., et al. (2010). Health professionals for a new century: Transforming education to strengthen health systems in an interdependent world. Lancet, vol. 376 no.9756, pp. 1923 – 1958, Frost, N. and Robinson, M. (2007) Joining up children's services: safeguarding children in multi-disciplinary teams. Child Abuse Review [online]. Vol. 16 (3), pp. 184-199.  Gieryn, T.F. (1983). Boundary-work and the demarcation of science from non-science: Strains and interests in professional ideologies of scientists. American Sociological Review, vol. 48(6), 781 –795. Hoffman, S.J., Rosenfield, D., Gilbert, J.H.V. and Oandasan, I.F. (2008). Student leadership in interprofessional education: Benefits, challenges and implications for educators, researchers and policymakers, Medical Education, vol. 42(7): pp. 654-61. Kuper, A., Whitehead, C., (2012) The Paradox of Interprofessional Education: IPE as a mechanism for maintaining physician power. Journal of Interprofessional Care, vol. 26: 347–349. Lloyd, M. (2007). Empowerment in the interpersonal field: discourses of acute mental health nurses. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing [online]. Vol. 14 (5), pp. 485-494. Mackenzie, A., Craik, C., Tempest, S., Cordingley, K., Buckingham, I. and Hale, S. (2007) Interprofessional learning in practice: The student experience. British Journal of Occupational Therapy [online]. Vol. 70 (8), pp. 358-361. Mizrachi, N., & Shuval, J.T. (2005). Between formal and enacted policy:Changing the contours of boundaries. Social Science and Medicine, vol. 60(7), 1649–1660. Morison, S., Johnson, J., and Stevenson, M., (2010) Preparing Students for Interprofessional Practice: Exploring the intra-personal dimension. Journal of Interprofessional Care  vol. 24(4):412-421. Pollard, K,.Miers, M., and Rickasby, C., (2012) Oh why didn’t I take more notice? Professionals views and perceptions of pre-qualifying preparation for interprofessional working in practice. Journal of Interprofessional Care [unpublished]. Priest, H.M., Roberts, P., Dent, H., Blincoe, C., Lawton, D. and Armstrong, C. (2008) Interprofessional education and working in mental health: in search of the evidence base. Journal of Nursing Management, Volume 16, Issue 4, p.474 - 485 (2008) Sheehan, D., Robertson, L. and Ormond, T. (2007) Comparison of language used and patterns of communication in interprofessional and multidisciplinary teams. Journal of Interprofessional Care, vol. 21(1): 17 – 30 Pollard K., Thomas J., and Miers M. (Eds) (2010) Understanding interprofessional working in health and social care, theory and .practice, Palgrave Publishing , Basingstoke Barrett G., Sellman D., and Thomas J. (Eds) (2005). Interprofessional Working in Health and Social Care: professional perspectives. Palgrave Publishing, Basingstoke: pp. 1-224. Beyerlein, M.M., Johnson, D. A., & Susan T. Beyerlein, S. T. (Eds). (2004). Complex Collaboration: Building the Capabilities for Working Across Boundaries. Elsevier, Amsterdam. Leathard, A. (Ed.). (2003). Interprofessional Collaboration: From Policy to Practice in Health and Social Care. Brunner-Routledge, New York, NY. Loxley, A. (1997). Collaboration in health and welfare: working with difference . Jessica Kingsley Publishers, London, UK. Meads, G. & Ashcroft, J. (Eds). (2005). The Case for Interprofessional Collaboration in Health and Social Care. Blackwell Publishing, Oxford, UK. Yan, J., Gilbert, J., & Hoffman, S. J. (2007). World Health Organization Study Group on interprofessional education and collaborative practice. Journal of Interprofessional Care, vol. 21 (6), 588-589. Barr, H., Koppel, I., Reevas, S., Hammick, M. & Freeth, D. (Eds). (2005). Effective Interprofessional Education: Arguments, Assumptions and Evidence. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, UK. Freeth, D., Hammick, M., Barr, H., Koppel, I. & Reeves, S. (Eds). (2005). Effective Interprofessional Education: Development, Delivery and Evaluation. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, UK. Hean, S., & Dickinson, C. (2005). The Contact Hypothesis: and exploration of its further potential in interprofessional education. Journal of Interprofessional Care, 19 (5), 480-491. Howkins, E., & Bray, J. (Eds.). (2008). Preparing for interprofessional teaching: Theory and practice. Abingdon: Radcliffe Reeves, S., Goldman, J., & Oandasan, I. (2007). Key factors in planning and implementing interprofessional education in health care settings. Journal of Allied Health, 36 (4), 231-235. Whitehead, C., Austin, Z., & Hodges, B.D. (2011). Flower power: The armoured expert in the CanMEDS competency framework? Advances in Health Sciences Education, vol. 16(5), 681 –694. Appendix 1. Take an example of your own contributions from the on-line discussion boards and cut and paste as an appendix at the back of the essay.  News from Ireland: Prestigious award for Kinsale Primary Care Team Ireland MEMBERS of the Kinsale Primary Care Team (PCT) are the proud winners of the Irish Medical Times Irish Healthcare award for inter-professional educational meetings. Last year Dr Tony Foley wrote to CAIPE describing the work of the thriving multidisciplinary Primary Care Team (PCT) in Kinsale, County Cork. Weekly meetings held since February 2011 have been well attended with enthusiastic participation by many team-members.  Speakers from three different disciplines contribute to each meeting.  Content to-date has included the primary care management of dementia, motor neurone disease and adolescent mental health. Following a year or so of weekly meetings Kinsale’s PCT decided to embrace the opportunity of designing and implementing on-going interprofessional education for the team.   In December  the Kinsale PCT won  an Irish Medical Times Irish Healthcare Award for its IPE project, a first for a PCT.  The delighted team received their award at a ceremony held in Dublin. The team won in the category “Best education project; general practice/pharmacy” for a novel educational initiative that has promoted integrated patient care and enhanced teamwork. The Irish Healthcare Awards recognise originality, excellence and innovation in healthcare in such areas as patient education, pharmaceutical innovation, healthcare collaboration and patient support. The award and the initiative are a first, nationally, for a PCT. Gabrielle O’Keeffe, General Manager, HSE Cork said “Collaborative practice, focusing on patient-centred care, is flourishing in Kinsale as their primary care team strengthens and grows together. I congratulate the team on receiving this award, it is well deserved”. The award-winning Kinsale primary care team were Gretta Crowley, HSE; Dr Micheal Hynes; Dr Deirdre Long; Joanne Foley; Mary Sammon; Deirdre Cullen; Eileen Cronin HSE; Kay Lynch; Mags Creedon O'Shea; Marie Lovell; Kate Dunn; Dr Tony Foley and Jacqueline Tierney of Abbott. The team has also hosted a conference with nurses and care-assistants from Kinsale Community Hospital and staff from local nursing homes to promote best primary care practice in dementia care. More than 100 people attended including students from Kinsale College of Further Education and UCC.  Read More