Interprofessional collaboration in primary care for patients with chronic illness: a scoping review protocol mapping leadership and followership.

Abstract

Effective interprofessional collaboration (IPC) in primary care is essential for providing high-quality care for patients with chronic illness. However, the traditional role-based leadership approach in which physicians are the sole leaders, may hinder IPC. To improve IPC, leadership roles may need to shift dynamically based on expertise and experience, allowing for fluid transitions between leaders and followers within teams. Until now, most studies exploring this phenomenon focus on secondary care settings where teamwork is often physician-led, protocol-driven, and time-limited. Our understanding of followership in primary care remains limited. Therefore, we present a protocol for a scoping review to map the research on leadership and followership within IPC in primary care settings for patients with chronic illness and relevant training interventions within this context. An electronic search will be conducted across PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science to identify studies published in English. Three independent reviewers will assess publications for eligibility. Data will be extracted on definitions, conceptualizations, and training programs of leadership and followership. Through descriptive and thematic analysis, the review will map the landscape of leadership and followership, and provide insights into related competencies necessary for effective IPC in primary care for patients with chronic illness.