Interprofessional Collaboration in Primary Health Care

Henna Saari, Anna Miettinen, Ulla Mikkonen, Nina Tusa, Pekka Mäntyselkä, Kadri Suija

Keywords: interprofessional collaboration, Primary Healthcare, general practice, general practitioner

Background:

Interprofessional collaboration (IPC) can be defined as the process of collaborative work between professionals from different fields, with the objective of achieving shared goals. A previous questionnaire in 2023 on general practitioners’ views of the existing good practices of IPC found that while IPC was valued, there were variations in understanding the principles of IPC (often seen in sequential steps) and obstacles to its implementation.

Research questions:

The objective of this study is to analyse how GPs understand the nature of IPC and how to implement it in optimal way to primary health care.

Method:

This study will employ a qualitative research method in the form of semi-structured interviews. Individual or small focus groups (n=2-4) via web-based platforms (Teams) we be used. The interviewees will be GPs working in primary health care centres across Finland. Purposeful sampling to achieve heterogeneous group (age, expertise, area) will be used. The interview guide will be developed by the research group, with findings from the previous questionnaire study being utilised. The study will employ a qualitative descriptive approach, incorporating iterative inductive and deductive thematic analysis.

Results:

Not yet.

Conclusions:

Conventionally, general practice has been predominantly GP-based, with physicians being taught to exercise independent decision-making skills, characterised by a robust professional identity and a dedication to fostering the patient-physician relationship. However, in the contemporary context in complex care settings there has been an expansion of the health and social care professional workforce, with the presence of multiple different professionals in primary healthcare centres.

Points for discussion:

Which are practical/purposeful ways for GPs to do interprofessional work? Would they or their patients benefit deeper interprofessional work?

Should this study/interviewees be interprofessional? Would findings be more useful that way?

Should this be international study?

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