Viewing interprofessional collaboration through the lens of networked ecological systems theory

Abstract

Interprofessional collaboration (IPC) is key to ensuring safe quality care for patients. However, IPC intervention outcomes are variable, leading to calls for systems theories to understand complex interactions in healthcare. Using networked ecological systems theory (NEST), we aimed to uncover facilitators and barriers impacting the interactions between nurses and physicians in a specialty healthcare center. A qualitative study involving 55 non-participant observations and 17 individual semi-structured interviews was conducted at the National Neuroscience Institute of Singapore from April 2019 to March 2021. Template analysis was used to analyze the data. The most important IPC facilitators were exosystemic institutional support and physicians’ willingness to engage in IPC in the microsystems that together enabled the establishment of disease-based outpatient programs fostering patient-centered interactions among different healthcare professionals (HCP). We also found that patient-, disease-, and systems-related knowledge played an important role in facilitating IPC. Macrosystemic entrenchments such as intraprofessional composition of ward rounds emerged as a significant barrier. However, microsystemic efforts such as chat groups connecting all HCP involved in the care of the patients in the wards have fostered IPC. Although still preliminary, these findings suggest NEST can be useful to inform systematic interventions to improve IPC.