Communication In Interprofessional Collaboration

Running Head: COMMUNICATION IN INTERPROFESSIONAL COLLABORATION

Communication in Interprofessional Collaboration

Learner's Full Name

Capella University

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Month, Year

COMMUNICATION IN INTERPROFESSIONAL COLLABORATION 2

Abstract

The study explores interprofessional collaboration in the provision of quality healthcare in

Alpha Health Services. It is purposed to bringing out an evidence-based practice that involves

inter-professional education and practice through communication and collaboration. The main

issue or problem covered in the essay is ineffective communication among the team members. The

chief causal factors for ineffective communication as covered in the essay are on poor leadership,

poor structural organization and lack of change of the cultural setting such as old communication

habits and depriving the non-medical members their opportunity to exercise cost-effective

healthcare. The implementation of the problem involves solutions such as starting inter-

professional education programs for training, realigning of the team members and enhancing

sustainable change. The program or applied is the Structuring Communication Relationship for

Interprofessional Teamwork (SCRIPT).

Introduction

Delivery of quality healthcare services calls for an effective and collaborative teamwork.

This significantly and positively impacts on the patients' safety and outcome. The need for an

interprofessional team has increased due to the increased rates of comorbidity as well as

specialization complexity in care. Heckscher et al. (2009) assert that gone are the day the

healthcare practitioners in any healthcare organization or setting would solely deliver quality care

for the satisfaction of patients. However, quality health care and inter-professional collaboration

would best be effective through effective communication in the healthcare organization through

the SCRIPT program. The evolution in the healthcare sector, along with the global demand for

quality care for all patients, has called for the development of a concurring healthcare profession

that has a significant focus on patients based teamwork approach. Additionally, the healthcare

COMMUNICATION IN INTERPROFESSIONAL COLLABORATION 3

system in the contemporary world alongside the care delivery processes integrates numerous

patients’ handoffs and interface among numerous healthcare practitioners that have varying

occupational training and levels of education. Thus due to numerous patients interaction, an

effective clinical practice ought to integrate numerous instances that require conveying of critical

information through accurate communication. Team collaboration is crucial to enhance the safety

of patients and reduction of risks.

Causal factors for ineffective communication

Some of the factors that have led to the ineffective communication in the organization are

such as overt abuse of power or leadership. This has been evident through the ancient

communication as well as teamwork habits that are yet to be changed. Thus, it has become difficult

for the hospital to keep pace with the modern advanced technology that causes the complexity and

challenges of inpatient care. Additionally, the organization does not fully allow or give full

opportunity to the non-medical members to exercise their expertise in the provision of cost-

effective services. There has also been an organizational structural challenge especially in the

distribution and the rotation cycle of the physicians in Alpha Health Services. Furthermore,

leadership in the organization has overlooked the importance of staff meetings. The structure of

the clinical teaching unit in the organization has also failed whereby, it is grounded on a shifting

pool of the physicians and therefore lacking that opportunity to include or draw other professionals

such as nurse's long term attachment to certain wards and patients in them. Leadership plays a

critical role in the collaboration of healthcare professionals (D'Amour et al., 2008).

Impacts of the problem

COMMUNICATION IN INTERPROFESSIONAL COLLABORATION 4

Ineffective communication alongside collaboration challenges among the various

professional lead to adverse patient events. As this leads to delay in the treatment, the organization

reputation is damaged. This puts the patients' safety into risks while the practitioners may be prone

to medical errors in their care provision (O'Daniel & Rosenstein, 2008). Communication may only

work effectively in a highly structure hospital setting for instance in the emergency rooms. Where

an organization has less structured inpatient settings like the common inpatient ward, collaboration

and the communication may best be acquired through an inter-professional collaborative patient-

based practice.

However, this proposal is purported in the building of an evidence-based while still taking

the organization through a transformation in both inter-professional education and the

interprofessional practice. Alpha Health Services has concluded that the commencement of the

transformation is through changing the education programs for their healthcare professionals. This

is in the post-licensure settings where the training for the learners begins. According to

Zwarenstein, Reeves and Perrier (2005), the post-licensure learning, collaboration and

communication have the most significant research and implementation. For a successful practice

setting for post-licensure calls for a cultural commitment in the organization's highest structural

level. Through the formal and informal meetings especially with the organization leaders will

facilitate and support teaching and academic leadership within the healthcare professional

facilities.

The needs/problems

The development of the proposal, the Alpha Health Services org….The organization has

already made some mild efforts in team work modeling through inter-professional collaborative

practice. The chances in enhancing collaboration and communication across the organization's

COMMUNICATION IN INTERPROFESSIONAL COLLABORATION 5

clinical setting appear due to insufficient inter-professional collaboration which leads to poor

communication among the healthcare professionals. The insufficiency also harms patient care, the

provider's satisfaction as well as learner's education.

Proposed solutions

Realigning the team members to enhance collaboration in the organization which varies

with the targeted team communication and physical interaction of the team members in meetings

for instance. Through realigning of the involved healthcare professional practitioners or team

based structures which would embrace patient care and also the implementation of the

communication tools would significantly improve the collaboration practice. After the selection of

the gap of improvement, the organization ought to undertake a development process which will

involve the creation of communication tools. These would be designed in a way that they elevate

the team's interprofessional communication.

There may also be innovative processes such as training that is based on professional

development curriculum or program that requires the skills needed for the promotion of the

proposal template alongside a team functioning in the organization's settings. Support and

leadership facilitation will enhance the organization to adapt the built communication skills in the

creation of a unique clinical context. The professional development curriculum ought also to train

the inter-professional leaders to create role models for the new professionals as well as other

trainees. This would be possible through the fielding the team that includes senior professionals

that work together in the organization. Acquisition of inter-professional leadership teams in the

organization will demonstrate inter-professional collaboration in their practice and teaching units.

COMMUNICATION IN INTERPROFESSIONAL COLLABORATION 6

The organization also ought to enhance change sustenance through the learning environment,

alongside the pre-licensure training culture.

Benefits of the solutions

The professional programs will enhance the support of the SCRIPT by equipping the

healthcare practitioners with an education mandate and with a basic background setting on inter-

professional education for the patient-centered practice as well as change within the Alpha Health

Services settings to enhance collaboration. Additionally, it provides the health professionals with

an opportunity is to be involved in programs that ought to be introduced to the structured

communication that aims at enhancing collaborative practice. They will also promote the

development of interprofessional education for the collaborative practice for the post-licensure

trainees or colleagues in the organization and to put into consideration the upcoming pre-licensure

trainees and learners (D'amour & Oandasan, 2005). Lastly, it supports the team with mentorship

and motivation as they facilitate change within the facility to enhance collaboration. The

professional development in Alpha Health Services will be created to enhance adaptation and

implementation of the SCRIPT template (Reeves et al., 2007).

Implementation and evaluation

As a leader, I will enhance communication implementation through a formative evaluation in the

organization setting. The long run pilot team in the healthcare organization will be determined by

its settings.

The collaborative plan will involve six main steps that will enhance improvement of quality and

safety healthcare.

COMMUNICATION IN INTERPROFESSIONAL COLLABORATION 7

 Firstly, a focused training of the professional development of the facilitators to embrace

and uphold the SCRIPT implementation and adaptation.

 The implementation of the SCRIPT guideline or template for eight weeks in Alpha Health

Services. The initial weeks will involve the working together of facilitators and the team

members for the development of local conditions and in implementing the SCRIPT

template.

 I will also involve an ethnographic observation of how the team carries out their activities

in the course of the pilot time periods in the organizations.

 I will also conduct interviews as well as focus groups with both the facilitators and pilot

participants. This would assist in soliciting their experience as well as their feedback.

 The fifth step will involve an outline and description of the trends in the relevant outcome

and processes before the pilot intervention and after.

 Lastly, I will review the intervention on any required dimensions, for instance, the SCRIPT

template, strategies of the facilitator as well as the support structures, to the support strategy

of the organization leadership.

Conclusion

In conclusion, ineffective communication hinders interprofessional collaboration in the

healthcare organization, leading to poor quality health care. The Alpha Health Services ought to

apply the SCRIPT template to enhance a collaborative inter-professional team. The ineffective

communication is as a result of poor leadership in the organization, a poor structural organization

especially in the distribution of the physicians and not changing the old communication and

collaboration habits. Thus to enhance effective communication and collaboration in the

COMMUNICATION IN INTERPROFESSIONAL COLLABORATION 8

organization some of the solutions may be on creating an interprofessional education program for

training the staff. Additionally, the organization ought to implement a good leadership.

COMMUNICATION IN INTERPROFESSIONAL COLLABORATION 9

References

D'amour, D., & Oandasan, I. (2005). Interprofessionality as the field of interprofessional practice

and interprofessional education: An emerging concept. Journal of interprofessional care,

19(sup1), 8-20.

D'Amour, D., Goulet, L., Labadie, J. F., San Martín-Rodriguez, L., & Pineault, R. (2008). A model

and typology of collaboration between professionals in healthcare organizations. BMC

health services research, 8(1), 188.

Heckscher, C., Rubinstein, S. A., Flynn, L., Erhardt, N., & Boniface, M. (2009). Collaboration and

the quality of health care delivery. Brandeis University. Waltham, MA, EEUU.

O'Daniel, M., & Rosenstein, A. H. (2008). Professional communication and team collaboration.

Reeves, S., Russell, A., Zwarenstein, M., Kenaszchuk, C., Conn, L. G., Doran, D., ... & Austin, Z.

(2007). Structuring communication relationships for interprofessional teamwork

(SCRIPT): a Canadian initiative aimed at improving patient-centered care. Journal of

interprofessional care, 21(1), 111-114.

Zwarenstein, M., Reeves, S., & Perrier, L. (2005). Effectiveness of pre-licensure interprofessional

education and post-licensure collaborative interventions. Journal of Interprofessional Care,

19(sup1), 148-165.

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