Quality Improvement Presentation Poster

Quality Improvement Presentation Poster: Interprofessional Collaboration Practice Program

Abstract

This poster describes an intervention applying interprofessional collaboration originally developed to address suboptimal Type II diabetes patient outcomes in a tertiary care facility but with wider clinical improvement applications. Implementation will model prior successful integrative staff training driving coordinated physician, nurse, and pharmacist participation in diabetic patient case management. Practices include joint daily patient visits and care “huddles” promoting team decision-making and preventing medication/diagnostic issues through enhanced communication. Benchmarking after introduction is expected to replicate published findings showing statistically significant improvements in controlling patient A1C, glucose, cholesterol and triglycerides. The research to date confirms that clinical improvements will likely parallel heightened staff job satisfaction and patient perceptions of holistic wellbeing support. Theoretically, uniting diverse expertise creates optimized interventions harnessing the problem-solving strengths of different health professions. Mutual understanding counteracts isolated perspectives. Together with better health indicators, interprofessional collaboration inherently improves the care experience through cross-disciplinary insight and role modeling team dynamics. Staff inclusion and fulfillment complete the Quadruple Aim’s core goals covered. In sum, properly implemented and administered, interprofessional collaboration leverages collective knowledge while operationalizing the empathy intrinsic to quality care missing when providers remain detached. It promises better medical and human outcomes.

The Importance of an Interprofessional Collaboration Practice Program to Improve Clinical Outcomes

Quality Improvement Method

· The selected quality improvement method is an interprofessional collaboration practice program based on its demonstrated efficacy in multiple clinical settings (Pakkanen et al., 2022).

· An interprofessional collaborative practice program involves healthcare professionals from different disciplines working together to provide comprehensive and coordinated patient care (Wiarsih et al., 2023).

· This approach emphasizes effective communication, shared decision-making, and mutual respect among team members, including physicians, nurses, pharmacists, social workers, and other healthcare providers.

· Through regular team meetings, joint care planning, and coordinated interventions, interprofessional collaborative practice aims to optimize patient outcomes, enhance the patient experience, and improve the overall efficiency and quality of healthcare delivery. This model recognizes the unique contributions of each discipline and promotes a holistic approach to patient care that goes beyond the traditional silos of individual professions (O’Carroll et al., 2019).

Evidence Supporting QI Methods

· The efficacy of interprofessional collaborative practice programs is well documented in a wide array of Q1 journals from multiple disciplines. Research consistently demonstrates that interprofessional collaboration leads to improved patient outcomes, increased patient satisfaction, and enhanced quality of care (Janes et al., 2022).

· These programs have proven particularly effective in addressing complex healthcare challenges and promoting a patient-centered approach, emphasizing the importance of a collaborative and cohesive healthcare team (Fleming & Willgerodt, 2017).

· The wealth of evidence supporting the positive impact of interprofessional collaboration underscores its significance as a cornerstone in achieving the Quadruple Aim in modern healthcare systems. (Nagelkerk, J. et al., 2018).

Change Strategy Foundation

· An interprofessional collaboration practice program strategically integrates a wide array of clinicians as appropriate, including physicians, nurses, pharmacists, social workers, case managers and other health professionals to cooperate in patient-centered care activities (Wilbur et al., 2023).

· Rather than using isolated decision-making, interprofessional collaboration promotes team-based patient visits, regular daily briefings to review cases, group documentation in shared records, and consolidated care planning meetings to formulate mutually agreed-upon interventions.

Interprofessional Team Benefits

· The interprofessional collaborative setting leverages diverse expertise through open communication and joint accountability in virtually all clinical settings.

· In addition, collaboration facilitates and fosters mutual perspective-taking and trust in collective knowledge (Bogossian & Craven, 2021).

Overall Project Benefits

· Properly implemented and administered, an interprofessional collaboration practice program provides a wide array of benefits. For instance, core activities such as collaborative rounds, joint patient education, and cross-training cultivate shared purpose and problem-solving centered on understanding whole patient needs.

· Likewise, structured interprofessional collaboration reengineers fragmented care delivery through relationship-building and collective cross-discipline wisdom harnessing the strengths of all partners for optimal coordination.

References

Bogossian, F., & Craven, D. (2021). A review of the requirements for interprofessional education and interprofessional collaboration in accreditation and practice standards for health professionals in Australia. Journal of Interprofessional Care, 35(5), 691–700.