Care professionals' experiences and mediation of conditions for well-functioning interprofessional collaboration: a mixed-methods case study of rehabilitation pathways in Danish home care.

Abstract

There is a growing interest in understanding the conditions that facilitate and hinder well-functioning interprofessional collaborations in healthcare. However, important knowledge gaps persist regarding the significance of context conditions and how different professional groups contribute to mediating conditions. To address these gaps, we conducted a mixed-method single-case study using surveys, interviews, and observations. Specifically, we examined how personal workers (PWs) and therapists experienced and mediated conditions during a crucial period of their collaboration in rehabilitation pathways in Danish home care. The findings show that the professional groups experienced different context conditions as poor and, based on their experiences, used distinct strategies to mediate these conditions. The therapists used "Monitoring," "Educating," "Building Relationships," and "Retaining Tasks & Advocating." The PWs used "Gaming the System," "Cutting Corners," and "Keeping Old Habits." The findings further suggest that the professional groups' experience and mediation of the conditions contributed to how the collaboration functioned, maintaining and disrupting it. The study contributes to the literature and practice by offering valuable insights into the pivotal role of context conditions and professionals' agency in interprofessional collaborations. These insights can help inform researchers and practitioners in their efforts to improve the conditions for interprofessional collaborations in healthcare.