Barriers and facilitators to interdisciplinary communication during consultations: a qualitative study

Area of Science:

• Medical communication
• Trauma surgery
• Intensive care medicine

Background:

• Communication failures among healthcare professionals negatively impact patient outcomes.
• Critically injured patients require complex, multidisciplinary care, increasing the likelihood of communication breakdowns.
• Understanding barriers and facilitators to interdisciplinary communication is vital in trauma settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify barriers and facilitators to interdisciplinary communication.
• To examine communication between trauma intensive care unit (ICU) teams and specialty consultants for critically injured patients.
• To explore factors influencing communication at a level 1 trauma center.

Main Methods:

• An observational qualitative study design was employed.
• Observations of daily rounds in trauma surgical ICUs were conducted.
• Key informant interviews with a diverse range of clinicians were performed, with data from 35 transcripts analyzed.

Main Results:

• Accessibility, encompassing physical and psychological dimensions, was a key factor influencing interdisciplinary communication.
• Responsiveness between clinicians from different disciplines facilitated communication.
• Social norms, cognitive biases, hierarchy, and relationships emerged as significant facilitators and barriers.

Conclusions:

• Accessibility critically impacts interdisciplinary communication between consulting and consultant teams.
• Addressing factors influencing accessibility can improve communication in trauma care.
• This study elucidates key elements for enhancing interdisciplinary collaboration in critical care settings.