Perceptions of interprofessional teamwork in low-acuity settings: a qualitative analysis

Area of Science:

• Healthcare professional development
• Teamwork and collaboration science
• Clinical skills assessment

Background:

• Interprofessional teamwork is crucial for healthcare professionals but lacks assessment tools for non-critical care settings.
• Existing tools often focus on high-acuity situations, limiting generalizability to wards and clinics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the underlying constructs of interprofessional teamwork in low-acuity healthcare settings.
• To understand team members' perspectives on essential teamwork attributes.

Main Methods:

• Ethnographic approach with qualitative thematic analysis over 17 months.
• Data collection via direct observations, focus groups, and individual interviews.
• Triangulation of data sources and member checking for analytical integrity.

Main Results:

• Key attributes include shared leadership, collaborative decision-making, mutual respect, and recognizing team members' strengths/limitations.
• Tensions arose regarding hierarchy and the appropriateness of doctor-led teams.
• Differences in teamwork dynamics between low-acuity and high-acuity settings were identified.

Conclusions:

• Essential elements of teamwork in low-acuity settings were delineated.
• Identified attributes provide a foundation for developing individual teamwork skills assessment tools.
• Findings offer insights into barriers to effective interprofessional collaboration.