Defining a Supportive Organizational Context for IPC in Primary Care: A Mixed Methods Study

Abstract

INTRODUCTION The purpose of this exploratory sequential mixed methods study was to explore organizational contextual factors important to successful interprofessional collaboration (IPC) among primary care teams. METHODS In Phase 1, a single embedded case study design was utilized to identify the organizational contextual factors most important to successful IPC. In Phase 2, a quantitative survey was administered to primary care team members in 10 organizations to objectively measure the relationship between contextual factors identified in Phase 1 and IPC. RESULTS In Phase 1, organizational contextual factors deemed most important included team structure and resources, including staff, time, and communication tools; supportive, patient-centered culture, including team member support and expectations for IPC as the way to provide the best care to patients; leadership, including organizational leadership support and provider leadership; and organizational structure and resources, including status as a federally qualified health center (FQHC) and academic facility. In Phase 2, statistically significant, positive relationships were found between IPC and team member support, provider leadership, team resources, clan culture, perceived organizational support, and patient-centered values. CONCLUSIONS The findings support the importance of organizational context for IPC and suggest that organizational culture and leadership hold particular importance for IPC success.