The difficulties of interprofessional teamwork in diabetes care: a questionnaire survey

BACKGROUND: Diabetes is a multifactorial disease and its nature means that interprofessional teamwork is essential for its treatment. However, in general, interprofessional teamwork has certain problems that impede its function. To clarify these problems in relation to diabetes care, a questionnaire survey was conducted. METHODS: The participants who were involved in diabetes-related educational seminars, and medical personnel who were engaged in diabetes care from the National Center for Global Health and Medicine, were asked to complete the questionnaire about perceptions of, and satisfaction with, interprofessional teamwork across multiple health care providers, who were actually involved in diabetes care. RESULTS: From 456 people who were asked to take the questionnaire, 275 people answered. The percentages of the respondents according to profession who considered multidisciplinary teamwork sufficient were as follows: physicians, 20.5%; nurses, 12.7%; registered dietitians, 29.6%; pharmacists, 21.9%; physiotherapists, 18.2%; and clinical laboratory technicians 15.4%. Insufficient interprofessional communication and inconsistency in motivation levels among staff were frequently cited as causes of insufficient teamwork. All professions considered interprofessional meetings or conferences necessary and essential for teamwork. CONCLUSION: The survey revealed that interprofessional teamwork in diabetes care is currently insufficient. Continuous efforts to change each profession’s perceptions about interprofessional teamwork and efforts to improve the quality of interprofessional meetings are necessary.