Inter-Professional Collaboration Analysis

Interprofessional collaboration has become an accepted important component in healthcare. Engel and Prentice (2013) define interprofessonality as “the process by which professionals reflect on and develop ways of practicing that provides an integrated and cohesive answer to the needs of clients, family and populations” (p.429). This process involves continuous interaction and knowledge sharing between professionals, coming together in an organized system, to solve or explore a variety of patient care issues. Collaboration involves people interaction, who come together largely because they wish to do so, rather than mandated to do so, which invokes the idea of Aristotle’s virtue ethics or that good people do good things (Engel & Prentice,

Interprofessional communication and collaboration are a significant part of ensuring safe and effective patient outcomes. In the case detailed below the health care team failed to communicate and collaborate care of patient A, ultimately leading to a negative outcome.

My third and final learning point is why it is important that there is a healthcare team. As I (Ivanova, 2014, b) said in the discussion board: “In order to improve the condition of the patient, it is really important all healthcare professionals work in a team.” This is relevant not only to the pharmacist but to all health care providers, because all of them have the same goal. Working in a team makes achieving that goal easier. Good communication decreases the chances of errors. Collaboration between professionals increases the awareness of each other’s skills and knowledge, which leads to an improvement in the health care service and decision-making. Teams are formed to create respect and trust between healthcare providers and also to prevent misunderstandings. The healthcare team should be centred on the patient and also making him feel better and improving his quality of life. Not having a team may result in serious errors and argues due to lack of communication. This is clearly not the point of the health care service. The interprofessional learning activity enabled us to understand the importance of having a team in healthcare and that coordination between all professionals is required in order to get the best effect from the treatment of the patient.

In today's changing healthcare environment, it is more important than ever for professional nurses to be skilled in collaborating with professionals from other healthcare disciplines. What communication strategies can professional nurses use to specifically promote collaboration with other healthcare disciplines and professionals?

As future pharmacists, we are going to face with not only the medications but also the patients, which the former ones are our tools while the latter ones are the people we use correct tools to care about. We are required to combine our pharmacy knowledge among medications with patients’ different health conditions to create the patient-centered care and provide the best outcomes. However, this care trend is in transition now, from professional-orientated to patient-centered.

There are three main tenets that are essential for my success as a future Osteopathic medical student and physician; comprehensive patient-focused education, application of evidence-based medicine, and interprofessional collaboration.

Interdisciplinary team work is extremely important to ensure patients receive quality care that meets their individual needs (Nancarrow, et al, 2013). To achieve this a group of health care professionals work together by bringing their different professions, assessments and evaluations together in order to design a care plan for treatment of the patient (Korner, 2010). For example if a patient is dealing with a mental health disorder such as depression or schizophrenia, the interdisciplinary team would consist of the doctor, nurse, psychologist, psychiatrist, pharmacist and neurologist. The roles and responsibilities of each team member must be based on their scope of practice including the assessment of the patient, the treatment to be given,

Occupational therapy (OT) is a profession grounded in evidence-based and science-driven therapy focused on improving overall quality of life for individuals by engaging individuals in meaningful occupations (American Occupational Therapy Association [AOTA], 2014). OT has successfully shifted to a profession that requires OT practitioners to obtain a state license to practice (AOTA, n.d.). The shift requires OT practitioners to adhere to federal and state regulations surrounding the OT profession. Licensure laws and AOTA Code of Ethics (2015) identified the importance of requiring OT practitioners to become licensed professionals. Licensure is a necessary regulation and provides protection to clients who receive services by holding the OT practitioner accountable for services provided. OT practitioners and the OT profession as a whole are protected by licensure laws because it directly outlines the roles and responsibilities within each state. The AOTA Code of Ethics (2015) outlined lack of proper licensure is deemed unethical because the violator is breaking licensure laws and breaching the AOTA Code of Ethics.

Code of Ethics of Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (CAOT) is to attain and uphold high standards of professional integrity toward clients, coworkers, employers, CAOT, etc. All the members of CAOT are required to follow the code of ethics. It talks about how members of CAOT should have qualities like integrity, loyalty, reliability, professional communication, etc. It also asks us to value and respect clients’ rights in their decision-making, rights to be treated with respect and dignity within a safe and non-judgmental setting, and respecting

Purpose: Each biennium and upon initial licensure clinicians are required to take a course related to the Laws and Rules of Practice for Occupational therapy. Through this course clinicians will increase awareness and understanding of the laws and rules that direct licensure as a provider of occupational therapy services.

Teamwork is vital in healthcare.  When all participants are engaged in a program, goals are successfully achieved. Being able to communicate and work collectively as a team requires an appreciation for each other’s area of practice.  Every team member has an important role and being acknowledged provides a sense of responsibility and accountability. Essentially, inter-professional collaboration helps ensure that the patient is getting care that is not only accessible but also comprehensive.  The plan of a patients’ care includes active participation by all health care professionals working interdependently in accordance to the patient’s preferences, values and beliefs. The health care team accomplishes the goal of meeting the patient’s medical needs by delivering evidence-based practice.   To deliver quality care, the patient should always be involved.

My current knowledge of Interprofessional Health Education is that it allows the people in the health care team to learn each and everyone’s roles, responsibilities, and limitations. It gives everyone an insight on how can they work efficiently and effectively so they can give the best possible care to their patients. Interprofessional Collaboration is when health care professionals work with one another to provide a holistic care management to their patients.

Documentation is “as important a skill to learn as our occupational therapy practice techniques” (Brennan, 2015). Proper documentation should enable us to articulate rationale, demonstrate clinical reasoning, clearly communicate information, and keep track of client progress. It may also help promote the field of occupational therapy or at least provide greater insight into what we do.

The profession of occupational therapy has many up and downs since its inception. To regain and remain in power, we shall “reflect more on power, learn to capture it, and become strategic in its use, while remaining ethically guided, we will be better able to serve the public good” (Clark, 2010, p266).

Occupational therapy has been in the process of continued development since the 1900’s. With several contributors helping to build the groundwork for creating the awareness needed to bring occupational therapy into the field of health care. Continued research is contributing to the ongoing significance of how occupational therapy is a vital aspect in promoting increased independences in all aspects of healthcare. (Willard, Schell, 2014) With the incorporation of “Occupational Therapy Practice Framework Domain and Process (3rd ed.)” helps creates the foundation for occupational therapy clinicians as well as other health care providers in facilitating the core believe of occupational and the relationship of health and occupation. (AOTA 2014) Therefore, providing a uniform outline of the various aspects of each individual and how they are interconnected to create the foundation of each individual. With a greater understanding of the foundations of that induvial, the clinician can then facilitate the best therapeutic treatment plan for that individual to achieve their personal goals with unified foundations of care.