Digitally supported interprofessional interaction in healthcare-a scoping review

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Informatics
• Digital Health
• Interprofessional Collaboration

Background:

• Increasing healthcare complexity and workforce shortages demand better interprofessional interaction.
• Digital technologies present viable solutions for enhancing healthcare professional collaboration across diverse settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify, categorize, and assess digital technologies supporting interprofessional interaction.
• To evaluate the implementation context and impact of these technologies using the NASSS framework.

Main Methods:

• A systematic scoping review of 407 studies across five databases.
• Data extraction and coding using the NASSS framework (Condition, Technology, Value Proposition, Adopter System).
• Thematic analysis and visualizations for synthesizing findings on digital tools for healthcare interaction.

Main Results:

• Seven primary technology categories were identified, mainly in organizational and intersectoral care settings (e.g., oncology).
• Positive impacts observed in workflow efficiency, specialist access, and team communication.
• Challenges identified include usability, data privacy, role ambiguity, and staff workload.

Conclusions:

• Digital tools can enhance healthcare communication, collaboration, and efficiency.
• Successful adoption hinges on aligning technology with clinical workflows, user involvement, and addressing implementation barriers.