Care managers' experiences of interprofessional collaborative practice with physicians in community-based integrated...

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Healthcare Management
• Interprofessional Collaboration

Background:

• Japan's Long-term Care Insurance system relies on care managers (CMs) as community care coordinators.
• Limited research exists on inter-professional collaboration between medical and non-medical professionals in this system.
• Understanding CMs' perspectives is crucial for optimizing integrated care delivery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify care managers' perspectives on enablers and barriers to collaboration with physicians.
• To explore factors influencing successful integration of medical services into community-based care management.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative content analysis of online interviews with 12 experienced community care managers.
• Data collected from January to May 2023 using open-ended questionnaires.
• Snowball sampling used for participant recruitment.

Main Results:

• Key themes identified: medical knowledge, professional attitudes, communication skills, and medical professional culture.
• Practical medical knowledge and positive professional attitudes enhance CM-physician collaboration.
• Effective communication, including nurse mediation, and understanding medical culture are vital.

Conclusions:

• Interprofessional education should address cultural differences and enhance CMs' medical knowledge.
• Clearer definition of CM roles and addressing physician misperceptions are necessary.
• Systematic learning approaches are needed to improve CMs' capabilities in integrated care settings.