Do not confuse multidisciplinary task management in nursing homes with interprofessional care!

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Geriatric Care
• Teamwork Dynamics

Background:

• Interprofessional collaboration is crucial in nursing homes but poorly understood.
• Current teamwork often relies on trial and error, highlighting the need for structured education.
• Limited insight exists into how healthcare professionals perceive and practice collaboration in these settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore healthcare professionals' perceptions of interprofessional collaboration in nursing homes.
• To identify factors influencing interprofessional collaboration within nursing home teams.
• To understand the nuances of teamwork and role clarity among diverse healthcare providers.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative descriptive study utilizing focus groups and semi-structured interviews.
• Thematic analysis of interview transcripts to identify key themes.
• Involved healthcare providers from multiple disciplines within nursing home settings.

Main Results:

• Four major themes emerged: context, collaboration, care, and experience.
• Healthcare teams often function as 'separated groups' despite perceived collaboration.
• Lack of common vision, shared responsibility, and unclear role descriptions were identified.

Conclusions:

• Perceived collaboration in nursing homes is often situational and fragmented, not aligning with interprofessional definitions.
• Healthcare providers acknowledge collaboration but lack a unified approach and clear understanding of roles.
• There is a need for explicit training and structured approaches to enhance genuine interprofessional collaboration in nursing homes.