How health professionals conceive and construct interprofessional practice in rural settings: a qualitative study

Area of Science:

• Rural Health
• Interprofessional Practice
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Interprofessional practice (IPP) can improve rural health services but faces challenges due to workforce shortages and fragmented care.
• Rural contexts present unique socioeconomic and geographic factors influencing IPP delivery compared to urban settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate factors enabling effective IPP in rural settings.
• To examine the mechanisms of IPP in rural healthcare.
• To identify barriers and enablers of rural IPP.

Main Methods:

• A Realistic Evaluation framework was employed.
• Semi-structured interviews were conducted with rural healthcare professionals in NSW, Australia.
• Thematic analysis was performed and integrated to describe rural IPP.

Main Results:

• Rural IPP is diverse and complex, with examples of successful collaborative practice.
• Key factors influencing IPP include shared philosophy, recognition of benefits, funding, pivotal roles, proximity, and workforce resources.
• Opportunities for IPP exist but are not always realized.

Conclusions:

• The nature of rural IPP is varied and depends on critical factors, with strong motivating elements identified.
• Significant structural and relational barriers, including workload, workforce issues, hierarchies, and service fragmentation, hinder IPP.
• Further research is needed to understand mechanisms driving successful rural IPP and inform sustainable implementation strategies.