Enhancing interdisciplinary collaboration in primary health care.

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Interdisciplinary Healthcare Studies

Background:

• The Dietitians of Canada endorsed the Principles and Framework for Enhancing Interdisciplinary Collaboration in Primary Health Care (EICP).
• The EICP Initiative focused on optimizing conditions for effective and efficient interprofessional teamwork to improve patient health outcomes.
• A Steering Committee of 11 national health professional organizations led the Initiative, engaging leaders and stakeholders in a collaborative change process.

Purpose of the Study:

• To define shared values (Principles) and structural/process elements (Framework) for enhancing interdisciplinary collaboration in Canadian primary health care.
• To establish a foundation for effective teamwork to achieve optimal health outcomes for patients, clients, and consumers.

Main Methods:

• Development of shared Principles based on stakeholder values.
• Identification of key structural and process elements for the Framework to support collaborative primary health care.
• Engagement of national health professional organizations and stakeholders in a change process.

Main Results:

• Agreement on core Principles: patient/client engagement, population health approach, quality care, access, trust, respect, and communication.
• Identification of Framework elements: health human resources, funding, liability, regulation, technology, leadership, and planning/evaluation.
• Production of approximately 40 research papers and a toolkit to support interprofessional collaboration.

Conclusions:

• Consensus reached by ten leading health professions on essential values and elements for interdisciplinary collaboration in Canadian Primary Health Care.
• Dietitians of Canada committed to continuing the advancement of the EICP change process.
• Resources including research papers and a practical toolkit have been developed to facilitate interprofessional collaboration.