Increasing collaboration between health professionals: Clues and challenges

BACKGROUND: Scholars have recently started to pay more attention in the potential of the inter-professional relationship between general practitioners and specialists to improve outcomes, through consideration given to the effect on prescribing practices. However, more empirical research is needed. OBJECTIVE: To explore inter-professional network factors that may explain effects on General Practitioners prescription behaviours. METHODS: A qualitative study was conducted in an integrated diabetes care program. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews from 16 health practices and a hospital diabetes clinic, using a convenience sample of general practitioners, practices nurses, diabetes nurse specialists and endocrinologists. A conceptual mapping was performed to identify factors underlying networks and effects on patient outcomes. RESULTS: Four themes with their concepts emerged from the conceptual map. These demonstrated the need for building effective channels of communication to share experience and knowledge timely in diabetes care. Communication, collaboration and coordination are critical factors to influence prescription behaviours within primary and secondary care. CONCLUSIONS: conceptual mapping allowed understanding factors that might explain how links between health professionals can improve patient outcomes at the primary and secondary care interface.