An Interdisciplinary Health Team Training Program for School Staff in Minnesota

ABSTRACT: This paper describes an interdisciplinary health team training program for school-based clinic staff in Minnesota. The project sought to improve team functioning, level of practice, and health care services at the school sites. Participants were interdisciplinary staff members from clinics in senior high, middle, and elementary schools. The program consisted of further development in team training knowledge and skills and educational sessions on issues identified by participants. Evaluations indicated participants reported greater knowledge and improved team functioning experiences from the team training. Gains also were shown in knowledge and skills in specific school topic areas such as violence, resiliency, working with resistant families, and self-care. The program could serve as a model for other interdisciplinary school health team training.     

A case study using the Discipline with a clinical team

Health care delivery in hospitals and clinics promotes an interdisciplinary team approach. This article presents the use of The Discipline though the involvements of the chaplain as part of the Infectious Disease team as together they addressed the inherent spirituality of one HIV/AIDS patient. This narrative recounts the unfolding events of the patient's life and describes the use of The Discipline during a very difficult time period for the patient and the staff. The experience can serve as a model for other health care teams who must manage difficult, deteriorating patients.     

Transforming a run down general practice into a leading edge primary care organisation with the help of the EFQM excellence model

This article explains how a primary care team transformed a run down general practice into a leading edge healthcare organisation by adopting the principles of the EFQM excellence model. The decisions surrounding the choice of approach, challenges faced, benefits achieved and lessons learned are all described in such a way that the reader may appreciate the issues which faced the members of the 15-man team. In particular, the practice team found that describing indicators of quality and gathering evidence to test out assumptions regarding performance were vital elements in the pursuit of a continuous improvement culture that was to benefit patients, staff and key stakeholders alike. Whilst an increase in workload was experienced in the early days, the knowledge that this was associated with improved performance made the efforts worthwhile and the team eager to adopt a regular, never-ending cycle of self-assessment and improvement.     

A Case Study Using The Discipline with a Clinical Team

SUMMARY

Health care delivery in hospitals and clinics promotes an interdisciplinary team approach. This article presents the use of The Discipline though the involvements of the chaplain as part of the Infectious Disease team as together they addressed the inherent spirituality of one HIV/AIDS patient. This narrative recounts the unfolding events of the patient's life and describes the use of The Discipline during a very difficult time period for the patient and the staff. The experience can serve as a model for other health care teams who must manage difficult, deteriorating patients.     

Multidisciplinary team dynamics in the production of problem-based-learning cases in issues related to older adults

Two important goals in allied health education are to prepare future allied health professionals to function as members of interdisciplinary teams and to increase their awareness of issues related to the growing older adult population. The responsibility for achieving these goals rests on the faculty and administrators of allied health education programs, who may not themselves be proficient in either of these domains. A multidisciplinary team of health educators and administrators was brought together to produce six problem-based learning (PBL) cases related to older adults. Members of the team represented a variety of disciplines in health care, diverse philosophies of educational development, a variety of roles in allied health education, and differing levels of knowledge of issues related to older adults--parameters similar to those found in the members of an interdisciplinary healthcare team. The methods by which this multidisciplinary group functioned and the dynamics in attaining the goals of the project are presented.     

Community group practices in Canada: are they ready to reform their practice?

INTRODUCTION: Governments and healthcare organizations in Canada are reforming the clinical practice structures and policies to deliver primary care to the population. A key component of primary healthcare reform is the establishment of an interdisciplinary, community-based team approach to patient care. This study was undertaken to provide in-depth insight regarding primary healthcare providers' beliefs and attitudes in regard to their current group practice, what changes they believe are occurring and those necessary to reform group practice settings, their willingness to embrace changes, and the challenges they face to realize the proposed reform. METHODS: This study employed a mixed-method research design (qualitative and quantitative data collection techniques) through day-long focus groups of primary healthcare professionals (eg, family physicians, specialists, dieticians, psychologists) from across Canada. RESULTS: There is considerable variation in the composition of primary care group practices across Canada. Respondents report that group practices are little more than an economic convenience to facilitate sharing of resources. Even when a practice is composed of several disciplines, there is little to no organized or systematic interaction among healthcare professionals aimed at improving patient care, lack of clarity as to identified leaders/managers of the team, and inconsistencies in the model of care provided to patients. However, there is a perception of value and benefit in working in a cohesive group practice to improve patient care. DISCUSSION: Findings revealed that although healthcare providers report themselves ready to make the necessary changes and willing to move to interdisciplinary team-based practices, there are substantive challenges that impede a movement to truly effective interdisciplinary team practice and functioning. These challenges include the type and allocation of funding, interprofessional healthcare provider education, changing the healthcare provision model, and barriers among healthcare professionals regarding shared and equitable team accountability for patient health outcomes.     

Qualitative evaluation of the implementation of the Interdisciplinary Management Tool: a reflective tool to enhance interdisciplinary teamwork using Structured,Facilitated Action Research for Implementation

Reflective practice is used increasingly to enhance team functioning and service effectiveness; however, there is little evidence of its use in interdisciplinary teams. This paper presents the qualitative evaluation of the Interdisciplinary Management Tool (IMT), an evidence‐based change tool designed to enhance interdisciplinary teamwork through structured team reflection. The IMT incorporates three components: an evidence‐based resource guide; a reflective implementation framework based on Structured, Facilitated Action Research for Implementation methodology; and formative and summative evaluation components. The IMT was implemented with intermediate care teams supported by independent facilitators in England. Each intervention lasted 6 months and was evaluated over a 12‐month period. Data sources include interviews, a focus group with facilitators, questionnaires completed by team members and documentary feedback from structured team reports. Data were analysed qualitatively using the Framework approach. The IMT was implemented with 10 teams, including 253 staff from more than 10 different disciplines. Team challenges included lack of clear vision; communication issues; limited career progression opportunities; inefficient resource use; need for role clarity and service development. The IMT successfully engaged staff in the change process, and resulted in teams developing creative strategies to address the issues identified. Participants valued dedicated time to focus on the processes of team functioning; however, some were uncomfortable with a focus on teamwork at the expense of delivering direct patient care. The IMT is a relatively low‐cost, structured, reflective way to enhance team function. It empowers individuals to understand and value their own, and others' roles and responsibilities within the team; identify barriers to effective teamwork, and develop and implement appropriate solutions to these. To be successful, teams need protected time to take for reflection, and executive support to be able to broker changes that are beyond the scope of the team.     

Nutrition support teams: an evidence-based practice.

With the development of specialized nutrition support, an interdisciplinary approach was essential to translating this medical breakthrough from the laboratory to the bedside. As this new innovation was adopted, interdisciplinary nutrition support teams were created to optimize the effectiveness and safety of this therapy. The impact of standardization and the use of an interdisciplinary team to provide specialized nutrition support have been shown to improve outcomes and safety and to have a positive financial impact on healthcare institutions. Yet many hospitals do not have nutrition support teams, and the numbers that do may have decreased. To be effective, nutrition support teams need to practice at an evidence-based level and measure their performance. Nutrition support teams include many of the components of the healthcare delivery system that are advocated for the future, and nutrition support teams should be encouraged as the preferred system of providing specialized nutrition support.     

Priority setting in primary health care: a framework for local catchments

Managers and staff in primary health care partnerships in local catchments, particularly in regional areas, are periodically required to work collaboratively to set health priorities. Setting priorities involves making decisions about which health needs are most important and what programs will be funded to address them. There is no universally agreed set of decision-making rules for setting priorities. Dominant approaches prioritise health economics, and have favoured expert knowledge drawn from technical-rational methodologies rather than consumer involvement and community action. However, research reveals that setting priorities is a complex, value laden, contested process buffeted by competing objectives and political interests. As such, an interdisciplinary, collaborative approach is called for. Using reflective practice from a priority setting project for a primary care partnership in a local, regional catchment in Victoria, Australia, a conceptual framework for priority setting is presented that identifies 13 interconnected factors spanning economic, political, policy, epidemiological, moral, evidentiary and evaluative domains. This interdisciplinary framework extends current knowledge about the considerations and trade-offs in setting priorities among collaborating primary health care agencies. It offers a potentially valuable heuristic tool for healthcare decision-makers in rural areas.     

Interdisciplinary Coordination for Breast Healthcare

Breast disease diagnosis and management is a quintessential example of a process requiring multidisciplinary coordination. European guidelines consider a coordinated team approach to be the standard of care. While the necessity of multidisciplinary coordination of breast healthcare is recognized in the US, its adoption in a practical sense has been fragmented and incomplete. Interdisciplinary communication and coordination has become the cornerstone of effective cancer care, but it is not supported financially or practically by a healthcare infrastructure that primarily focuses on the reimbursement of individual specialists for procedures and therapies rather than the process by which these therapies are optimally selected and integrated. Practical obstacles to interdisciplinary care are complicated by the heterogeneity of healthcare systems that must necessarily adapt to differences in population distribution, variability in access to care, availability of trained specialists, varied models of medical care delivery, and structure of insurance coverage. The American Society of Breast Disease (ASBD) is a multidisciplinary group that focuses on how interdisciplinary breast cancer care can be successfully delivered. Since much of quality improvement hinges on outcome measurement, metrics of quality interdisciplinary care are needed to assess how well we are doing in different healthcare venues. In November 2006, the ASBD held a colloquium entitled Ensuring Optimal Interdisciplinary Breast Care in the United States, the purpose of which was to develop a framework of quality indicators related to multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary care that can be used to assess the degree to which interdisciplinary communication and coordination is taking place.     

INTERDISCIPLINARY EDUCATION FOR HEALTH PROFESSIONALS

With the increasing use of the team approach in health care delivery, many patterns of team practice have evolved. There is cumulating concern about how comprehensive care can be delivered and how to train health professionals for this model. Educators and practitioners are examinining and experimenting with approaches to holistic training. This paper summarizes some of the issues in interdisciplinary training of health professionals and makes a number of recommendations.     

Team climate for innovation: what difference does it make in general practice?

OBJECTIVE: Teamwork in primary healthcare is associated with patient care processes and staff outcomes. The ability of teams to be innovative is a hypothesized mechanism. We examined the characteristics of general practices with good team climate for innovation, and assessed the impact of climate on chronically ill patients' assessment of their care and on the job satisfaction of the staff. DESIGN: Large cross-sectional study. SETTING: Australian general practices. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 654 general practitioners and staff and 7505 chronically ill patients from 93 general practices in 6 Australian states and territories. MEASURES: The Team Climate Inventory and the Overall Job Satisfaction Scale, customized for use with general practices, were administered to general practitioners and practice staff, and the General Practice Assessment Survey was administered to patients. Practice characteristics were collected by survey from the principal doctor or practice manager. RESULTS: Mean scores of team climate in Australian general practices were similar to those reported in the UK, except that in our study there was no association between the number of doctors in a practice and their team climate. Better team climate was found in practices with fewer non-clinical staff. Team climate predicted the job satisfaction of the general practitioners and staff, irrespective of the number of practice staff. Better team climate was associated with greater satisfaction by patients with their care. CONCLUSIONS: Team climate is important for patient and staff satisfaction. In large general practices, separate sub-cultures may exist between administrative and clinical staff, which has implications for designing effective team interventions.     

充分发挥教学医院在妇幼保健专业人才培训中的作用

随着医学模式的改变、卫生事业的快速发展和人民生活水平的提高,对医务人员的要求也日益增高。近20年来,中国妇幼保健网络已成体系,但由于各种原因,基层妇幼保健机构还存在许多不足和挑战,急需建设一支高素质的基层医疗卫生服务队伍。因此,应积极探索行之有效的妇幼保健专业人才培训方法,充分发挥各地医学院校教学医院的优势和作用,培养既懂保健又懂临床的复合型妇幼保健人才,以满足妇女儿童日益增长的健康需要。     

Interdisciplinary didactic instruction at academic health centers in the United States: attitudes and barriers

Interdisciplinary care is a method of providing patient care through a team approach that incorporates the efforts of various health care providers. Studies show that this approach can improve patient care and decrease overall costs to the healthcare system. Despite the evidence for the benefits of interdisciplinary care, there are no well-defined models for training students during their didactic years to become members of an interdisciplinary team. This study utilized an investigator-developed questionnaire to determine the attitudes of administrators of professional schools in the USA toward interdisciplinary education, identified the perceived barriers to interdisciplinary education, examined the extent to which interdisciplinary education is occurring at academic health center campuses, and identified the courses that might best be taught in an interdisciplinary format. Administrators from medicine, nursing, and pharmacy hold positive attitudes toward interdisciplinary instruction. Respondents from nursing and pharmacy hold more favorable attitudes than their counterparts from medicine. Positive attitudes are seen more frequently among females than males, and among respondents from public single and multi-campuses than from private campuses. This study demonstrated that administrators espouse very positive attitudes toward interdisciplinary education, although they perceive the barriers to interdisciplinary education and the courses most suited for anointer disciplinary approach differently. More discussions among administrators of various disciplines may allow barriers to be overcome and allow development of interdisciplinary didactic courses that could test the hypothesis that these courses are more cost effective and more likely to foster interdisciplinary teamwork in the clinical setting. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Continuing Professional Development in Maternal Health Care: Barriers to Applying New Knowledge and Skills in the Hospitals of Rwanda

Objectives Training healthcare professionals in emergency maternal healthcare is a critical component of improving overall maternal health in developing countries like Rwanda. This paper explored the challenges that healthcare professionals who participated in a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) program on Advanced Life Support in Obstetrics® (ALSO) face in putting the learned knowledge and skills into practice in hospitals of Rwanda. Methods This study used a mixed methods approach to understand the challenges/barriers to applying new knowledge and skills in the hospitals of Rwanda. We conducted thirteen purposive in-depth interviews with ALSO® trainees (nurses, midwives and physicians) complemented with a cross-sectional survey on staff turnover in eight of the nine hospitals in the Eastern province of Rwanda. Results Our study found that trainees do not get enough opportunity to apply the new knowledge and skills in their hospitals and expand to health centers. In part because they are frequently rotating to different departments of the hospital and are not getting the opportunity to train their colleagues to share the learned knowledge and skills. The lack of refresher trainings/mentorship and the high personnel turnover were also reported as a barrier to applying new knowledge and skills. Reasons for staff turnover included pursuing further studies, a better opportunity (job/remuneration), low morale, and family related motives including joining a spouse or better schools for children. Conclusions for Practice Expanding and formalizing CPD training to all the healthcare professionals involved in providing maternal care services would improve the provision of emergency maternal healthcare in Rwanda.     

Interdisciplinary education for health professionals: issues and directions.

With the increasing use of the team approach in health care delivery, many patterns of team practice have evolved. There is cumulating concern about how comprehensive care can be delivered and how to train health professionals for this model. Educators and practitioners and examining and experimenting with approaches to holistic training. This paper summarizes some of the issues in interdisciplinary training of health professionals and makes a number of recommendations.     

Support in a time of need. The team approach at Mercy Medical Hospice addresses medical, emotional, and spiritual needs

Mercy Medical Hospice, Daphne, AL, uses an interdisciplinary team approach, which includes medical, nursing, social work, pastoral care, pharmacy, therapies, volunteer, and bereavement services. Mercy Medical has two home care offices and offers inpatient respite care for short periods, which is helpful for those who have an inadequate care giver system or need time to work out a better alternative to care in the home. An assessment of medical and nursing care needs, mental and emotional state, and psychological and spiritual needs is the first step after patients enter hospice. The entire team develops a care plan for the patient and family. Among the issues they address are education about the disease process, medication for pain control and symptom management, and how the patient and family cope with the patient's imminent death. Working with the dying and their families can be stressful for staff members, and they offer each other a lot of support. Working in hospice requires good stress management techniques, but staff feel that it is a calling that enriches their lives.     

Networks and social capital: a relational approach to primary healthcare reform

Collaboration among health care providers and across systems is proposed as a strategy to improve health care delivery the world over. Over the past two decades, health care providers have been encouraged to work in partnership and build interdisciplinary teams. More recently, the notion of networks has entered this discourse but the lack of consensus and understanding about what is meant by adopting a network approach in health services limits its use. Also crucial to this discussion is the work of distinguishing the nature and extent of the impact of social relationships – generally referred to as social capital. In this paper, we review the rationale for collaboration in health care systems; provide an overview and synthesis of key concepts; dispel some common misconceptions of networks; and apply the theory to an example of primary healthcare network reform in Alberta (Canada). Our central thesis is that a relational approach to systems change, one based on a synthesis of network theory and social capital can provide the fodation for a multi-focal approach to primary healthcare reform. Action strategies are recommended to move from an awareness of 'networks' to fully translating knowledge from existing theory to guide planning and practice innovations. Decision-makers are encouraged to consider a multi-focal approach that effectively incorporates a network and social capital approach in planning and evaluating primary healthcare reform.