Interprofessional collaboration: development of a tool to enhance knowledge translation

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Rehabilitation Sciences
• Knowledge Translation

Background:

• Interprofessional collaboration (IPC) is crucial for effective healthcare delivery.
• Enhancing IPC knowledge and skills among rehabilitation practitioners is essential.
• A practical tool is needed to guide IPC operationalization in clinical settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a comprehensive framework for operationalizing IPC in clinical settings.
• To validate the developed IPC framework.
• To assess the usefulness of the IPC framework for rehabilitation practitioners.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-method approach was employed.
• Rehabilitation stakeholders (n=20) were involved in the framework's development and validation.
• A systematic seven-phase procedure was followed.

Main Results:

• A final IPC framework was established.
• The framework comprises five practice types across four components: client/family situation, collaboration intention, practitioner interaction, and knowledge integration.
• The framework operationalizes interactional factors for promoting collaboration.

Conclusions:

• The framework synthesizes scientific knowledge and clinical experience on IPC.
• It serves as a relevant and useful knowledge translation tool for rehabilitation.
• The framework can be utilized in educational initiatives and to support practitioners in optimizing collaborative practice.