gms | German Medical Science

51. Kongress für Allgemeinmedizin und Familienmedizin

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Allgemeinmedizin und Familienmedizin (DEGAM)

21.09. - 23.09.2017, Düsseldorf

Results of the development of a customizable programme for improving interprofessional team meetings. An action research approach

Meeting Abstract

  • J. van Dongen - Maastricht University, CAPHRI Family Medicine, Maastricht, Niederlande; Zuyd University of Applied Sciences, Research Centre for Autonomy and Participation for People with Chronic Illnesses, Heerlen, Niederlande
  • M. van Bokhoven - Maastricht University, CAPHRI Family Medicine, Maastricht, Niederlande
  • W. Goossens - Zuyd University of Applied Sciences, Research Centre for Autonomy and Participation for People with Chronic Illnesses, Heerlen, Niederlande
  • R. Daniels - Zuyd University of Applied Sciences, Research Centre for Autonomy and Participation for People with Chronic Illnesses, Heerlen, Niederlande
  • T. van der Weijden - Maastricht University, CAPHRI Family Medicine, Maastricht, Niederlande
  • A. Beurskens - Zuyd University of Applied Sciences, Research Centre for Autonomy and Participation for People with Chronic Illnesses, Heerlen, Niederlande

51. Kongress für Allgemeinmedizin und Familienmedizin. Düsseldorf, 21.-23.09.2017. Düsseldorf: German Medical Science GMS Publishing House; 2017. Doc17degam102

doi: 10.3205/17degam102, urn:nbn:de:0183-17degam1028

Published: September 5, 2017

© 2017 van Dongen et al.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. See license information at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.


Outline

Text

Background: Interprofessional teamwork is increasingly necessary in primary care to meet the needs of people with complex care demands. Needs assessment shows that this requires efficient interprofessional team meetings, focusing on patients’ personal goals.

Objectice: The aim of this study was to develop a programme to improve the efficiency and patient-centredness of such meetings.

Methods: Action research approach: a first draft of the programme was developed, and iteratively used and evaluated by three primary care teams. Data were collected using observations, interviews and a focus group, and analysed using directed content analysis.

Results: The final programme comprises a framework to reflect on team functioning, and training activities supplemented by a toolbox. Training is intended for the chairperson and a co-chair, and aims at organizing and structuring meetings, and enhancing patient-centredness. Our findings emphasize the essential role of the team’s chairperson, who, in addition to technically structuring meetings, should act as a change agent guiding team development.

Discussion: Findings show that the programme should be customizable to each individual team’s context and participants’ learning objectives. Becoming acquainted with new structures can be considered a growth process, in which teams have to find their way, with the chairperson as change agent.