Introduction:Interprofessional teamwork is increasingly necessary in primary care to meet the needs of people with complex care demands. Needs assessment shows that this requires efficient interprofessional team meetings, focusing on patients’ personal goals. The aim of this study was to develop a programme to improve the efficiency and patient-centredness of such meetings.Methods:Action research approach: a first draft of the programme was developed, and iteratively used and evaluated by three primary care teams. Data were collected using observations, interviews and a focus group, and analysed using directed content analysis.Results:The final programme comprises a framework to reflect on team functioning, and training activities supplemented by a toolbox. Training is intended for the chairperson and a co-chair, and aims at organizing and structuring meetings, and enhancing patient-centredness. Our findings emphasize the essential role of the team’s chairperson, who, in addition to technically structuring meetings, should act as a change agent guiding team development.Conclusion:Findings show that the programme should be customizable to each individual team’s context and participants’ learning objectives. Becoming acquainted with new structures can be considered a growth process, in which teams have to find their way, with the chairperson as change agent.

Introduction:Primary care is increasingly being confronted with complex health care demands stemming from both biomedical and psychosocial problems of people with chronic diseases. Interprofessional collaboration is needed to enhance person-centredness and coordinate care provision in an efficient manner, which should eventually result in high-quality and integrated care. In primary care, collaboration often occurs through periodic interprofessional team (IPT) meetings. We have developed a multifaceted programme (including a reflection framework, training activities and a toolbox) to enhance team functioning in terms of improved person-centredness and efficiency of meetings. The aim of this study was to evaluate the perceived suitability and potential impact of this programme. Eventually, findings of this evaluation should contribute to understanding the suitability of the programme and optimizing its design.Methods:A prospective process evaluation was conducted, using a mixed-methods approach. Six primary care IPTs participated. Data collection included observations of team meetings, semi-structured interviews with team chairpersons, a focus group meeting, and a questionnaire for all team members. Qualitative data were analysed using directed content analysis and quantitative data using descriptive statistics.Results:The results show that, on the whole, the programme was appreciated. Most progress was perceived regarding structure and organization. Chairs perceived increased awareness of person-centredness and team processes. They perceived the training activities as useful and instructive, and valued peer feedback and on-the-job coaching as the most effective strategies. Findings from the questionnaire showed a tendency in the desired direction for all variables.Conclusion:To conclude, the programme can be considered as a suitable approach for improving team functioning. However, enhancing person-centredness requires additional training/practice and on-the-job coaching. Lastly, the programme should be context-specific, flexible in use, and preferably delivered and mediated by an external facilitator at the workplace.