Perioperative Interprofessional Communication Between Urology and Palliative Care: A Qualitative Analysis.

Abstract

Introduction: Good-quality care for patients with a serious illness often requires interdisciplinary expertise. In the urologic perioperative period, this can include urologists and Palliative Care (PC). Our objective is to understand how to improve perioperative coordination between urologists and PC providers in the context of urologic serious illness.

Materials and methods: We interviewed 38 providers: urologists (13), PC physicians (12), and clinical team members (13) in phase I of this study. From these interviews, there were 96 examples of interdisciplinary communication that were analyzed using qualitative content analysis with dual review in phase II of this study.

Results: Two key themes emerged regarding communication between urology and PC teams. First, effective collaboration is often hindered by logistical challenges, such as surgeons' limited availability due to time spent in surgery and difficulties coordinating in-person meetings. Fostering bidirectional, timely communication through asynchronous communication and structured meetings improves alignment within the clinical team before patient interactions. Second, hierarchical structures within medical teams can discourage open dialogue, with nonsurgeons sometimes feeling hesitant to share input. Promoting mutual respect is essential to creating a more balanced and collaborative environment. Together, these themes highlight the need for systemic changes that support accessibility, respect, and communication in interdisciplinary care.

Conclusions: Future directions include implementing an evidence-based intervention with structures and processes to improve interdisciplinary collaboration among urologists and PC.