Health professionals in multi-disciplinary and multi-agency teams: Changing professional practice

Abstract

The article draws on an Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)-funded research project that aimed to investigate the reality behind the rhetoric of "joined up thinking". The research project was a qualitative, multi-method study involving three phases, including observation and documentary analysis; interviews; and focus groups around decision making and knowledge sharing. The article reflects on the perspectives and experiences of health professionals and their colleagues in multi-agency teams about the impact of multi-agency teamwork on their professional knowledge and learning, and on their ways of working. Actual and potential conflicts between professionals are explored about models of understanding, about roles, identities, status and power, about information sharing, and around links with other agencies. Dilemmas of team building and of conflicting values and knowledge are exemplified from health professionals' accounts, using theoretical models of "communities of practice" and "activity theory". The article presents groups of strategies that health professionals and their colleagues in multi-agency, multi-professional teams use to overcome barriers and to strengthen team cohesion. The conclusion reflects on some implications of our findings in theory and practice for professionalism within integrated, multi-professional teams that are building new ways of working.

Empowerment of young people who have a parent living with dementia: a social model perspective

“…The idea of health and social care practitioners and policy makers engaging and collaborating with young people in families within the dementia sector is relatively new. As reported elsewhere knowledge from youth organisations demonstrated young people's contribution to social change is valuable and empowering (Hagen et al, 2012;Robinson & Cottrell, 2005). In accord with Patel et al, (2007) there is a need for health professionals to develop a 'particular style' and skill to engage young people which unfortunately is often lacking (Patel et al, 2007, p. 7).…”

“…Robinson et al, (2005) described 'strategies that health professionals and their colleagues in multi-agency, multi-professional teams use to overcome barriers and to strengthen team cohesion' working cooperatively for the benefit of young people and families (Robinson & Cottrell, 2005, p. 1). The second strategy recognises individual empowerment as described by Masterton and Owen (2006).…”

How Should Complementary Practitioners and Physicians Communicate? A Cross-Sectional Study from Israel

“…This discrepancy is not remarkable because teams composed of professionals from different fields may experience conflicts relating to status, power, and different understandings of the concepts and nomenclature used in different modalities. 21 Caspi et al 22 proposed the Tower of Babel metaphor as a way of characterizing the "language" gap between conventional medicine and CAM schools of thought. This communication gap may also be overcome through the implementation of educational initiatives for both physicians and CAM practitioners.…”

Learning theories and interprofessional education: a user’s guide

“…Robinson & Cottrell (2005) in an evaluation of decision-making and knowledge sharing in multi-agency teams, explored the ways in which professional knowledge was generated in these teams, how learning took place, as well as the ways of working created as a result of being part of this activity system. Similarly, Payler, Meyer & Humphris (2007) applied the second generation of activity theory to inform the development of a conceptual framework to guide an evaluation of the impact of pedagogy employed in continuing professional development for professionals in education, health and social care.…”