Health and Social Care Professionals' Perspectives of the Desired Interprofessional Collaboration in Frequent Attenders' Person‐Centred Care: A Qualitative Study

TL;DR

Healthcare professionals want better teamwork across organizations to provide personalized care for frequent patients.

Contribution

The study presents a new vision for interprofessional collaboration in person-centered care for frequent attenders.

Findings

Professionals emphasized a unified culture and adaptive care management for effective collaboration.

Frequent attenders and their families should be active members of the care team.

Cross-organizational practices and training in co-creation are needed for future success.

Abstract

The aim of the study was to describe the desired nature of interprofessional collaboration (IPC) in person‐centred care (PCC) for frequent attenders (FA). The study employed a futures thinking approach to create an alternative vision of the future, aiming to understand how professionals should collaborate across organisational boundaries to achieve successful integration in person‐centred care for FAs.

The semi‐structured interviews with social and healthcare professionals (n = 38) delivering care and services for frequent attenders were conducted in three public health and social care organisations in Southern Finland. Inductive content analysis was used. Ethical approval was obtained from the Ethics Committee for Human Sciences at the University of Turku, and research permissions were secured from all participating organisations. Research participants confirmed their voluntary participation through electronic informed consent.

Social and health care professionals described the desired interprofessional collaboration in person‐centred care for FAs through a unified operating culture and values and integrated and adaptive care management. It was described through continuous co‐creation of joint networks, outreach interprofessional practices and fostering a collaborative culture among social and healthcare professionals and other stakeholders across organisations. FAs and their close ones are seen as key members of the interprofessional team, collaborating with professionals to construct and maintain a holistic view of the FA, ensuring seamless service interfaces.

In the future the desired IPC can be achieved by co‐creating and implementing cross‐organisational practices and investing in nurturing innovation‐oriented professionals who serve as bridge‐builders across sectors. Furthermore, interprofessional learning, the involvement of experts by experience, and training in co‐creation and flexible networking skills enhance professionals' capacity to address the complex needs of FAs in the future.

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