Health professionals’ experiences and perceptions of challenges of interprofessional collaboration: Socio-cultural influences of IPC

Abstract

ABSTRACT

Background: Literature shows that interprofessional collaboration (IPC) is a challenging phenomenon both in theory and practice, and it is affected by socio-cultural contexts in which the health professionals (HPs) play their roles. Considering some evidences on the similarities and differences between eastern and western socio-cultural contexts, this study aims to explore and describe the socio-cultural factors infl uencing IPC in these two contexts.

Materials and Methods: This was a pilot qualitative descriptive study that was conducted in 2012–2013. Data were collected through conducting one-to-one and group interviews as face-to-face and written in terviews (narratives) with purposeful samples of HPs from various disciplines including nurses, medical doctors (MDs) from variety of specialities, social workers, and psychologists from health system in Iran and Germany. Other methods of data collection were taking fi eld notes and reviewing related  literature. The qualitative content analyses method was employed to derive the common categories and themes.

Results: Totally 22 participants took part in the study. Moreover, researchers had a 10-day period of fi eld observation in Germany (health systems affi liated with Albert Ludwigs University of Freiburg). Qualitative data analysis revealed three themes and related subthemes. The themes were: (1) Interaction beyond boundaries, (2) motivation to engage in IPC, and (3) readiness to approaching toward IPC.

Conclusions: The results of the study emphasized that in both eastern and western contexts, organizational, professional, and community socio-cultural textures, mainly in terms of attitudes toward other people, other professions, and IPC, play their role as important factors. We suggest future researches about each of the emerged themes.

Key words: Germany, interprofessional collaboration, Iran, nursing profession, socio-cultural