Working Collaboratively Together to Enhance Integration and Enhance Patient Centred Care

Conference: NET Networking and education in health care

Dates: 6-8 September 2016

Journal: Nurse Education Today

Abstract:

Background, context and evidence base for the innovation, wherever possible, its international relevance: Multiple issues face health systems in this country and abroad. Working together is often seen as a way forward and yet interprofessional learning and working together is often curtailed. Hence this innovation was designed so that all the individuals could work together with equality to generate a new knowledge base and new strategies to enhance patient centred care. It is believed that this small innovative project could be applied both nationally and internationally to create new knowledge and help solve localy and national issues facing health services and ultimately lead to greater patient centered care and level of services.

Aim/focus of the intervention: To empower indivuduals from across different arenas such as health and social care to ehance working in a partnership together so that person centred care could be improved through working together in a more integrated manner.

Implementation of the innovation: Two eight day programmes (September 2015 and Febuary 2016) discussed and demonstrated integration in relation to putting the individual first-to enhance the level of care and person centred services offered to the recipient. Each group member was drawn from different disciplines and worked in a pro-active manner to address issues that could be enhanced by integration. A variety of strategies were utilised including seminars, reflection and reality based scenarios and projects set in the individual's practice arena.

Methods used to assess the innovation: This is currently on going but includes qualitative data from the recipients, themselves, quanitiative data and also feedback from their practice arenas in relation to how integration has been enhanced/achieved, for instance, to achieve greater patient centred care and access to services.

Key findings: Initial impressions have been postive, both from the qualitiatve data received from the recipients undertaking the first programme and also from the practice arenas. THis has included written and verbal and ad hoc feedback that enhanced integration is occuring which has resulted in an increased focus and level of care being offered to the patient or reicpient.

Source: Manual