Dispositional Humility Of Clinicians In An Interprofessional Primary Care Environment: A Mixed Methods Study

Area of Science:

• Healthcare professional development
• Interprofessional collaboration
• Psychology of work

Background:

• Dispositional humility is a key character trait for professionals in team-based care.
• It involves monitoring self-centered drive and prioritizing colleagues' needs.
• Understanding humility's role is vital for effective interprofessional relationships.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if clinicians in interprofessional teams recognize humility as essential for collaboration.
• To revise a conceptual map of dispositional humility based on empirical data.

Main Methods:

• Mixed-methods study combining personality (HEXACO) and attitude (Integrative Medicine Attitude Questionnaire) assessments.
• Qualitative content analysis of interviews with physicians, nurse practitioners, and naturopathic clinicians.
• Participants were primary care clinicians in Washington State serving Medicaid patients.

Main Results:

• Clinicians scored higher in honesty-humility, conscientiousness, and openness to experience than reference standards.
• Attitudes toward integrative medicine did not vary significantly by clinician type.
• Qualitative data confirmed humility as a desired trait for professional collaboration.

Conclusions:

• Humility, characterized by prioritizing others' needs over self-interest, is vital for high-quality team-based patient care.
• Integrative medicine principles are widely accepted among the studied healthcare professionals.
• Both quantitative and qualitative findings underscore humility's importance in successful interprofessional teamwork.