Older adults experience multiple health difficulties and often require complex care. Several healthcare professionals such as nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapist, speech therapist and general practitioners are involved in their care. To coordinate complex care, case meetings between these healthcare professionals are held, the called interprofessional team meetings. The purpose of interprofessional team meetings is to coordinate complex care to provide tailored care. However, it is a challenge to sustainably hold these meetings. Therefor it is important to research how interprofessional team meetings fits in the long-term work process of several health care professionals.
The purpose of this study is to gain insights into the ‘foundation’ of sustainability of interprofessional team meetings between nurses, general practitioners and allied health professionals to strengthen the perceived health of vulnerable elderly people living at home and improve work pleasure.
To reach this goal we use a participatory action research design. This design aims to gain knowledge and experiences in order to implement strategies to sustain interprofessional team meetings. Within this project we observe the current process within interprofessional team meetings, stakeholders prioritize themes for sustainability plans and implement strategies for sustainability.
Collaborating partners are Maastricht University, Huisartsen Oostelijk Zuid Limburg, Paramedisch Centrum Zuid, Burgerkracht Limburg.
The project consists of five phases.
Expected data:
Phase 1:
• Inventorying the self-reported health of older people who need complex care: The self-reported health is measured by semi structured interviews (n=42)
• Measuring work pleasure as indicator for work climate: Work pleasure is measured by using the Team Climate Inventory with health care professionals (n=53)
Phase 2:
• Inventorying the functioning of the interprofessional team meetings: Facilitators, barriers and sustainability needs. First, data is gathered by observation of the ITM (n=7). Second, data are gathered by using focus group discussion with nurses, allied health professionals and general practitioners (n=7). Third, individual interviews are held with elderly people regarding their experiences with interprofessional team meetings (n=12).
Phase 3:
• Sustainability needs are prioritized by using co-creation sessions with all stakeholders in order to prioritize the sustainability needs (n=7).
Phase 4:
• Designing and implementing strategies for sustainability within working-groups (in total n=47): Sustainability plans for all teams (n=7).
Phase 5:
• Evaluating self-reported health of older adults in need of complex care (n=28) (follow-up of phase 1)
• Measuring work pleasure as indicator for work climate (n=52) (follow-up of phase 1)
• Evaluating the strategies for sustainability. The development of strategies for sustainability is evaluated (process evaluation) by focus group discussion (n=3).
Atlas.TI, 2025
IBM SPSS Statsics, 29.0.0.0
The qualitative data (interview & focus group discussion transcripts) that support the findings of this study contain sensitive information that could compromise participant privacy and are therefore not publicly available.
