Promising Interprofessional Collaboration Practices

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), in their commitment to building a Culture of Health in America, initiated a project entitled Identifying and Spreading Practices to Enable Effective Interprofessional Collaboration to better understand the role of interprofessional collaboration in advancing a Culture of Health. The results of this work are published in Lessons From the Field: Promising Interprofessional Collaboration Practices.

The Issue

Interprofessional collaboration between and among physicians, nurses, pharmacists, social workers, and other clinical and administrative professionals is playing an increasingly important role in the future of health care delivery.

Key Findings

The following practices were identified as successful models:

• Put patients first.
• Demonstrate leadership commitment to interprofessional collaboration as an organizational priority through words and actions.
• Create a level playing field that enables team members to work at the top of their license, know their roles, and understand the value they contribute.
• Cultivate effective team communication.
• Explore the use of organizational structure to hardwire interprofessional practice.

About This Work

In 2014, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation identified a broad range of health care organizations involved in interprofessional collaboration, conducted interviews and site visits, and convened a day-long meeting to examine interprofessional teams and their effectiveness in serving patients and contributing to a Culture of Health. This report is a summation of the interviews, discussions, best practices, and recommendations gleaned from that process.