Ineffective Communication And Collaboration Analysis

Interdisciplinary work teams includes staff from different level of clinical professionals such as nurses, nursing assistant, surgical technicians, anesthesiologists, physical therapist, occupational therapist, attending physicians who goal is to work and communicate together to improve patient quality care and safety. Working together as a team, will improve patient care and also help to delivered unique patient care quality and reduce medical errors. The use of interdisciplinary teamwork improved communication between different levels of healthcare workers, and limited adverse events, improved outcomes, decreased the length of stay and yield greater patient satisfaction ( Epstein, 2014). In healthcare setting or environment, patient safety

Effective communication among professionals from different disciples is key area to care coordination (Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, 2007) however; Communication involves a variety of strategies and purposes (Kripalani et al, 2007). In an interprofessional collaboration, different professional groups work mutually as a team to develop a positive impact on health care. As said by Zwarenstein, Goldman & Reeves (2009) collaborative working is improved because of an agreement between different professionals through communication. Good communication is vital as It enables health care professionals to build relationships

As a scholar and leader in the area of medicine, it is imperative to understand how to work as a team to provide the best possible care to patients. “Educators are responding to complexities of today’s medical knowledge by developing educational programs based on current learning theories, such as enactivism, where learning takes place within teams that are actively engaged in clinical environments” (Davidson, Morgan, & Simons, 2012, p. 291). This results in more patients that can place their trust in physicians and nurses who know how to work together as a team.

This week’s assigned readings focus on the importance of inter-professional teamwork and collaboration within the healthcare environment. Porter-O Grady describes in the readings that the complex nature of our healthcare system and the complex needs of patients call for a multifaceted approach to patient care (2013). This is greatly because current healthcare practices often necessitate for patients to obtain care from various care settings and from various specialties, making it nearly impossible for one discipline to effectively meet all of the patient’s needs (Porter-O Grady,2013). Interprofessional collaboration (IPC) supports a multifaceted approach to care and is defined by Kara et al. (2015) as the process through which different discplines

According to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, most healthcare professionals are not trained to work in interprofessional teams.1 Due to this, it is negatively impacting the quality of care we give our patients. The lack of communication and respect for others is potentially putting the patient at harm. For example, test results are not being shared, other helpful opinions are not being heard, unnecessary costs are being added and trust is being lost. This is very surprising to me because every healthcare professional’s goal and focus should be on healing the patient. When collaboration with others is needed, it should be looked upon as equal as a treatment, a diagnosis and a test.

A patient will always benefit from the combined knowledge and expertise of several professionals working towards a common goal. This belief has played a key role in the biomedical model of healthcare (Yuill, Crinson and Duncan, 2010) slowly evolving to encompass more holistic models: including the biopsychosocial model (McInerney, S 2016). It is wrong to assume that a single health worker can solely manage the often complex needs of a patient. Since this is the case, effective cross-departmental communication is necessary to ensure the best possible care for a wide-range of service users. Communication, in many ways, seems to be the key to good patient care: it is used to obtain informed consent, it offers dignity and respect to patients and it can flag up possible concerns about a patient early

I believe that communication is the main reason problems occur in health care. It is crucial that the health care team works together as a team and communicates any issues or concerns throughout the process of patient care. No matter how many processes are put into place or how many checklists are followed, mistakes are going to be made unless proper communication occurs. Unfortunately, these mistakes are usually at the cost of safe patient care. According to Edwards (2008), “every

Working in the healthcare field has its pros and cons, its risks and rewards. Depending on the type of facility that you work in, your experiences can vary dramatically. Staff members within a hospital setting tend to have a higher patient turnover rate, which leads to a faster paced work environment, as opposed to in Long Term care facility where the patients have a much longer stay. With that being said, there still is a common goal for patient safety and a healthy outcome. That could not be possible if all staff members did not collaborate with one another. “Furthermore, collaborating is as critical to the success of healthcare operation in an environment of limited and expectation of accountability”( Akil, H,& Watson, S. J. 2000). Collaboration is a team effort, and within that team each player has their own role. The “developmental process and the following steps are important for success; individual factors, individual team members, which bring unique attitudes and styles to the process of care, and these characteristics influence the outcome of collaboration.”( Akil, H,& Watson, S. J. 2000). With all of the hard work that each discipline contributes to a patient’s stay, the more efficient goals can be met.

An interdisciplinary collaboration and communication between all healthcare team members, patients, and family members are vital for the safety and quality care for the patient. According to Nickitas, Middaugh, and Aries, (2016) “...report showed that hospitals, physician, and patients each have a role to play, and each group must specific actions

Interprofessional collaboration (IPC) is the process in which different professional multidisciplinary teams (MDT) work together to positively impact healthcare. Research has discovered that issues or problems regarding IPC in practice can impact the outcome of effective patient care. Study by Devla et al., (2008) highlights the problems identified with having a negative effect on patient’s health for example; power dynamics within the MDT, lack of understanding of others roles and responsibilities, poor and limited communication, and conflicts due to a varied approach and understanding of patient care. To encourage partnership working and the development of innovative partnership approaches there is increasing emphasis on integrating understanding and knowledge of this topic within education programmes designed for all pre-registration students. These programmes were created as part of the aim to improve care and professional relationships

In the Journal of Interprofessional Care, an article titled Physician and nursing perceptions concerning interprofesssional communication and collaboration addressed the need for collaboration between all health care team members (2014). It was discussed that

collaborate and work together. Effective, safe and high quality care can only be provided if good communication and collaboration exist between nurses, providers, patients and also their

Teamwork and communication are very important in providing good quality care, especially in the healthcare field. A team is described as a group of people that works together and cooperatively, between each member of the group to reach a common goal (Sullivan, 2013). For a team to function, communication is essential. A report by McKay and Crippen (2008), as stated by Alfaro-LeFevre, (2013) showed that when collaboration is in place, hospitals can decrease their mortality rate by 41%. When mortality rate is lower, hospitals does not only decreased cost, but it also means that patients are receiving good quality care.

Rice, K., Zwarenstein, M., Conn, L., Kenaszchuk, C., Russell, A., & Reeves, S. (2010). An intervention to improve interprofessional collaboration and communications: A comparative qualitative study. Journal of Interprofessional Care, 24(4), 350-361.

Without multidisciplinary and interdepartmental communication, it is difficult to understand the big picture—what is actually happening to the patient during the episode of hospitalization and what the impact on the organization is. Teams led by department leads can brainstorm data for better ways to communicate and recommend preventive strategies.