Effects of a Longitudinal Interprofessional Educational Outreach Program on Collaboration

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Education
• Teamwork and Collaboration
• Professional Development

Background:

• Interprofessional education (IPE) interventions often lack clear development and implementation strategies.
• This ambiguity hinders understanding of IPE's role and effectiveness in healthcare settings.
• A need exists to evaluate outreach programs for improving healthcare team self-efficacy and collaboration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if an outreach program enhances self-efficacy and interprofessional collaboration (IPC) in healthcare teams.
• To investigate the factors influencing interprofessional learning and collaboration within the program.
• To assess the impact of the IPE program on team dynamics and individual confidence.

Main Methods:

• A two-year cohort study involving physicians, nurses, dietitians, pharmacists, and social workers in primary care.
• Utilized workshops, educational materials, and interworkshop support.
• Measured self-efficacy and team function five times, employing ANOVA, t-tests, and Pearson correlations. Conducted interviews to explore IPC factors.

Main Results:

• Team function significantly improved throughout the program (P = .02).
• While self-efficacy was not directly impacted, its correlation with team function increased over time (P < .01).
• Interviews identified trust, liability concerns, and geographic proximity as key mediators of IPC; workshops facilitated trust and role clarity.

Conclusions:

• IPE workshops can enhance interprofessional collaboration by clarifying roles, building trust, and fostering a community of practice.
• Trust among team members and geographic proximity are significant facilitators for IPC in interprofessional settings.
• The outreach program demonstrated a positive impact on team function and highlighted crucial elements for successful interprofessional collaboration.