The Reciprocity Team: Development of an Interprofessional Research Collaboration.

Area of Science:

• Health Sciences
• Interprofessional Education
• Rural Health

Background:

• Interprofessional research collaborations are crucial for advancing health sciences.
• Rural settings present unique challenges and opportunities for collaborative research.
• Understanding infant and maternal reciprocity requires diverse expertise.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe an interprofessional research collaboration at a rural public university.
• To explore infant and maternal reciprocity through collaborative research.
• To identify unique attributes, barriers, and opportunities in interprofessional research.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative description of the research collaboration's organization and process.
• Analysis of unique attributes and challenges encountered.
• Formulation of recommendations for future collaborative efforts.

Main Results:

• The collaboration successfully brought together diverse health professions scholars.
• Key attributes of the collaboration were identified, alongside significant barriers.
• Opportunities for enhancing future interprofessional research were highlighted.

Conclusions:

• Interprofessional collaboration is vital for studying complex health topics like infant and maternal reciprocity.
• Addressing identified barriers can foster more effective collaborative research in rural health.
• Recommendations provided aim to support current and future health-related research endeavors.