American
Journal
of
Health
Research
2016; 4(2-1): 44-47
http://www.sciencepublishinggroup.com/j/ajhr
doi: 10.11648/j.ajhr.s.2016040201.16
ISSN: 2330-8788 (Print); ISSN: 2330-8796 (Online)
Interprofessionalism in the Literature: A Review of the
American Journal of Health Research
Michael T. Kalkbrenner
1
, Jewel Goodman Shepherd
2
, Kaprea F. Johnson
1
, Jill D. Choudhury
1
,
Alyssa Reiter
1
, Alexandria Russell
3
1
Counseling & Human Services Department, College of Education, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, United States of America
2
School of Community and Environmental Health, College of Health Sciences, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, United States of America
3
College of Arts & Letters, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, United States of America
Email address:
Mkalk001@odu.edu (M. T. Kalkbrenner), JGShephe@odu.edu (J. G. Shepherd), KFJohnso@odu.edu (K. F. Johnson),
Jchou005@odu.edu (J. D. Choudhury), Areit001@odu.edu (A. Reiter), Aruss027@odu.edu (A. Russell)
To cite this article:
Michael T. Kalkbrenner, Jewel Goodman Shepherd, Kaprea F. Johnson, Jill D. Choudhury, Alyssa Reiter, Alexandria Russell.
Interprofessionalism in the Literature: A Review of the American Journal of Health Research. American Journal of Health Research. Special
Issue: Interprofessional Education and Collaboration is a Call for Improvement Across the Board in the Health Sciences.
Vol. 4, No. 2-1, 2016, pp. 44-47. doi: 10.11648/j.ajhr.s.2016040201.16
Received: May 13, 2015; Accepted: December 16, 2015; Published: September 3, 2016
Abstract:
The purpose of this research brief was to review the available research on collaborative efforts to delivering
healthcare in a health research journal. Interprofessional collaboration involves an interdisciplinary working relationship
between health care providers to provide multifaceted treatment approaches to better serve clients, better educate students, and
more effectively engage professionals. Interprofessional collaborations have been found to provide clients with a higher level
of care. Communication about health related information among family members has also been found to promote higher levels
of patient care. A search was conducted in the American Journal of Health Research (AJHR) using search terms related to
interprofessional collaboration and familial collaboration. Findings indicated that there were benefits to collaborations among
professionals and among family members. Results, however, yielded limited publications (n = 3) that were related to
interprofessional and familial collaborations in AJHR. Recommendations for future research on interprofessional and familial
collaborations are discussed in this research brief.
Keywords:
Interprofessional Education, Interprofessional Collaboration, Health Services
1. Introduction
Collaborative approaches to health care emphasize a
strength-based approach that involves medical professionals,
mental health professionals, and clients working together as a
team to provide comprehensive patient care (Unutzer,
Harbin, Schoenbaum, & Druss, 2013). Interprofessionality,
for example, is an emergent concept that focuses on the
development of a cohesive and integrated approach to the
delivery of health care. (D’Amour & Oandasan, 2005).
Interprofessionalism is a paradigm shift, that emerged from
translating theory into practice through joining professionals
from a variety of different disciplines using a teamwork
approach to providing services (DeMatteo & Reeves, 2013).
Interprofessional care is replacing multi-disciplinary models
of health care delivery due to a need for efficiency, shared
decision-making, and active client participation in service
delivery (Orchard, Curran, & Kabene, 2005; Chong, Aslani,
& Chen, 2013). Interprofessionalism is an emerging trend in
health care due to the increased emphasis on measurable
outcomes, best practices, and continuity of care (Irvine,
Kerridge, McPhee, & Freeman, 2002; Hettinger & Gwozdek,
2015).
2. Interprofessional Collaboration (IPC)
Interprofessional Collaboration (IPC) refers to “a
partnership between a team of health care professionals and a
clients in a participatory, collaborative and coordinated
approach to shared decision-making around health and social
issues” (Orchard, King, Khalili, & Bezzina, 2012, p. 58). The
American Journal of Health Research 2016; 4(2-1): 44-47 45
core concept of interprofessional collaboration is the
construction of a respectful and trusting atmosphere among a
team of professionals that integrates the perspectives of each
discipline into a collective action to address the complexity
of clients’ presenting concerns (D’Amour et al., 2005).
The World Health Organization has created a Framework
to interprofessionalism (Gilbert, Yan, & Hoffman, 2010).
This Framework guides policy-makers in understanding the
context of adapting the current health workforce into a
collaborative and practice-ready workforce to strengthen the
overall health system, improve health outcomes, and provide
optimal health services.
While the goals of IPC are broad, a primary objective is to
provide patient-centered, cost effective care (Orchard, King,
Khalili, & Bezzina, 2012). Another goal of IPC is to
discourage a repeat of Garrett Hardin’s tragedy of the
commons, an economic theory in which individuals’ actions
are motivated by preserving self-interest and in turn, the
common ground amongst others was destroyed in the process
(Pfeifle & Earnest, 2014).
Communication between family members has also been
found to increase individuals’ well-being (Onyango-Ouma,
Aagaard-Hansen, & Jensen, 2005). Similar to IPC, familial
collaborations involve a working relationship based on
respect and trust to promote shared decision making and the
dissemination of information surrounding health and social
issues.
3. Purpose and Aims
The aim of this research brief was to conduct a review in
the American Journal of Health Research (AJHR) of
publications that were related to collaborative approaches to
healthcare. In particular, researchers aimed to (a) assess
interprofessional education and (b) assess interprofessional
and familial collaborations within clinical and academic
settings. Researchers took a multidisciplinary approach to
writing the current article. The authors of the current
manuscript included faculty members, doctoral students,
master’s students, and undergraduate students from different
disciplines. Authors worked collaboratively to review and
synthesize the findings from the literature.
4. Methodology and Findings
A search was conducted in AHJR for publications that
were related to interprofessional or familial collaborations.
The search was conducted from July 2013 to May 2015.
Results yielded 18 relevant publications, of which four were
duplicates. The remaining (n=14) were reviewed to
determine if they represented an interprofessional
collaboration in the healthcare industry, educational initiative
in a health related teaching program, or a collaborative effort
among family members. Eleven articles were excluded for
not meeting these criteria. Three articles were considered
compatible with the search criteria (Bruning & Baghurst,
2013; Debela, et al. 2014; Teslim & Ayodele, 2014).
There were significant variations in the sample sizes and
settings among the three studies included in this publication
review. Bruning & Baghurst (2013) included 776 patients
and staff members among 14 orthopedic centers in Ohio,
Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa,
North Dakota, and South Dakota. Teslim & Ayodele (2014)
included a sample size of 110 Nigerian pharmacists. Debela
and colleagues (2014) enrolled 432 students in grades five
through eight, attending school in the Jimma Zone.
Teslim & Ayodele (2014) investigated Nigerian
pharmacists’ views on whether or not physiotherapists should
be granted supplementary prescription privileges (Teslim &
Ayodele, 2014). Researchers conducted a cross-sectional
study and recruited 110 practicing Nigerian pharmacists from
two federal university teaching hospitals, two state hospitals,
one private hospital, one academic institution and two drug
companies in southwest Nigeria (Teslim & Ayodele, 2014).
Results indicated that 70% of the Nigerian pharmacists
favored making physiotherapists supplementary prescribers
of medications. There was variation among pharmacists’
views about the particular types of prescription drugs that
physiotherapists should be granted supplementary
prescription privileges for. Pharmacists were most
comfortable with physiotherapists prescribing Nonsteroidal
Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDS) 71.8% (n=79) and
Analgesics 66.4% (n=73). Pharmacists were the least
comfortable with physiotherapists prescribing anti-
coagulants, 7.3% (n=8) and anti-depressants, 8.2%, (n=9).
These findings suggest that pharmacists were open to
interprofessional collaboration with physiotherapists.
Researchers are optimistic that these findings will assist in
promoting a legislative initiative that will provide guidelines
for physiotherapists to prescribe medications.
Bruning & Baghurst (2013) investigated the relationship
between employees’ perceptions of team work and patient
satisfaction ratings in an orthopedic setting. Specifically,
researchers correlated patient satisfaction ratings with
employees’ perceptions of teamwork and collaborative
approaches to health care. Findings indicated that there were
benefits of collaborations among staff members. In particular,
employees’ perceptions of collaborative team work was
correlated with higher levels of patient satisfaction. Linear
regression analyses identified two subsets of empowerment
that were statistically significant when compared to patient
satisfaction. Those subsets included Support (p = .006) and
Job Activity Scale (p = .029). Findings from Bruning &
Baghurst (2013) suggested that promoting collaboration and
teamwork among staff members led to increases patient
satisfaction.
A search was also conducted in AJHR to identify
previous research about familial collaborations. Debela et
al. (2014) assessed students’ knowledge of Malaria and
communication between child and parent regarding control
and prevention among 432 participants. Results indicated
that students were knowledgeable about Malaria and open
to communicating with their families. Findings from the
study suggested that students were knowledgeable about
46 Michael T. Kalkbrenner et al.: Interprofessionalism in the Literature: A Review of the American Journal of Health Research
Malaria as approximately 50% were willing to
communicate their knowledge of preventive methods for
malaria with their parents. Researchers recommend that
interprofessional education should be incorporated to
strengthen Malaria education efforts. In particular, it is
recommended that health care professionals collaborate
with teachers to include a more through Malaria education
curriculum to further educate students about the prevention
and control of Malaria (Debela et al., 2014). Students can
then communicate what they have learned with their parents
and other family members.
5. Discussion
The aim of this research brief was to conduct a review in
AJHR to identify research that has investigated collaborative
approaches to delivering healthcare. Findings suggest that
interprofessional and familial collaborations might have the
following benefits: higher levels of patient satisfaction,
positive communication between family members about risk
factors for malaria, and there seems to be a willingness among
Nigerian pharmacists to collaborate with physiotherapists
(Bruning & Baghurst, 2013; Debela, et al. 2014; Teslim &
Ayodele, 2014). However, results also revealed that there are
currently limited publications on interprofessional
collaborations (n = 2) and familial collaborations (n = 1) in
AJHR. The findings from the current research brief are
consistent with the results of previously conducted empirical
research studies on IPC and communication among family
members (Hammick et al., 2007; Hitch, 2012 Onyango-Ouma
et al., 2005), including the enhanced development of practice
and higher quality of healthcare services.
Interprofessional collaboration provides an opportunity for
professionals from multiple disciplines to syndicate their
knowledge and skillsets to provide a more all-inclusive and
diverse approach to patient care (D’Amour & Oandasan,
2005). Interprofessionalism promotes an integrated effort of
engaging practitioners with a diversity expertise which
allows for more effective decision-making, cost
effectiveness, and resource allocation (D’Amour &
Oandasan, 2005). The current researchers hypothesize that
patients, particularly those in underserved areas, would be
likely to benefit from improved quality health care if familial
and interprofessional collaboration are utilized as strategic
approaches to addressing barriers to health care. Future
research is needed to further investigate the benefits of
implementing familial and interprofessional collaborations in
health care settings
Practitioners, researchers, and educators in the fields of
health science, human development, and mental health
professions are both producers and consumers of
information presented in the AJHR. Researchers play a key
role in the extending the knowledge base on
interprofessional and familial collaborations in health care
settings (D’Amour & Oandasan, 2005). Findings from this
research brief indicate that there is a need for future
research on interprofessional and familial collaborations,
particularly in AJHR. Specifically, future research should
focus on designing and implementing practical strategies
for incorporating interprofessional and familial
collaborations into clinical and educational settings. Future
research should also investigate the effectiveness of
interprofessional and familial collaborations in mental
health care settings. It is, therefore, recommended that
future research in AJHR and in other journals incorporate
the following aims and scopes:
1. Service-Learning Education Models for
Interprofessional Education Collaboratives.
2. Teaching Health Equity as a Component of
Interprofessional Education.
3. Telehealth and Interprofessional Collaborations.
4. Infusing Familial and IPC into Counseling and Human
Services Settings.
5. Ethics, and Values Studies on Interprofessional and
Familial Collaborations.
6. Principles of Team Dynamics in Interprofessional
Collaborations.
7. Multidisciplinary Approaches to Achieving Health
Care Goals.
8. The Development of Effective Interprofessional and
Familial Teams in International Settings.
9. The Growing Trends of Interprofessional Collaboration
in Health Sciences Education.
10. Interprofessional Education and Collaboratives in
Rural settings.
6. Conclusion
Collaborative approaches to healthcare provides patients
with a team of experts who work cohesively to best identify,
conceptualize, and treat maladies. Interprofessionality
involves the collaboration of two or more professionals of
different disciplines as the method of healthcare delivery.
Interprofessionalism has been found to enhance the overall
quality of healthcare services, outcomes, and patient
satisfaction. Interprofessional education, coursework and
experiential training involving students of different
programs and majors is the catalyst to instilling
collaborative approaches into the field. Familial
collaboration involves the exchange of wellness related
information between family members. The purpose of this
research brief was to conduct a review in AJHR to identify
publications that were related to collaborative approaches to
healthcare. Preliminary findings from the existing
publications in AJHR suggest that collaborations between
professionals and families might be an effective approach
for providing clients with higher levels of health care.
Future research on collaborative approaches to healthcare in
AJHR and in other journals is needed to extend the
knowledgebase. However, preliminary findings suggests
that practitioners, researchers, and educators can become
leaders in providing their clients with higher levels of care
by supporting collaborative approaches to healthcare
initiatives.
American Journal of Health Research 2016; 4(2-1): 44-47 47
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