How can you improve patient outcomes with interprofessional collaboration?

2 How can you practice IPC in your setting?

IPC can be practiced in various settings, such as hospitals, clinics, community health centers, or home care. To do so effectively, a clear and shared goal for patient care should be established that aligns with the patient's needs and expectations. Each team member should be aware of their roles and responsibilities, as well as respect the scope of practice and expertise of others. Communication between team members and the patient should be done respectfully with common language, active listening, and feedback. Care planning, implementation, and evaluation should be done collaboratively using evidence-based guidelines, protocols, and tools. Lastly, the team should reflect on their performance and outcomes to identify areas for improvement and learning.

4 How can you overcome these barriers and challenges?

To ensure success in IPC, you need to adopt a positive and proactive attitude. Continuous learning and professional development on IPC topics and best practices is essential. Additionally, seeking feedback from team members and the patient on your performance, as well as participating in interprofessional education, training, or simulation activities can help you gain different perspectives and scenarios. Joining or creating interprofessional networks, communities, or forums can facilitate knowledge exchange and collaboration. Lastly, advocating for organizational changes that support and reward IPC such as shared leadership, incentives, or recognition can be beneficial.

5 How can you measure and monitor IPC outcomes?

To ensure that IPC is effective and beneficial for patient care, you need to measure and monitor its outcomes and impact. To evaluate IPC outcomes, you can use patient surveys, interviews, or focus groups to capture patient satisfaction, experience, or feedback. Additionally, clinical indicators such as readmission rates, infection rates, or complication rates can reflect the quality and safety of care. Furthermore, process indicators such as care coordination, referral patterns, or documentation can show the efficiency and continuity of care. Team surveys, interviews, or focus groups can capture team satisfaction, engagement, or feedback. Lastly, team assessment tools like the Interprofessional Collaborative Competency Attainment Survey (ICCAS) or the Team Development Measure (TDM) can measure team functioning and competencies.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?