Strengthening primary health care through primary care and public health collaboration: the influence of intrapersonal and interpersonal factors

Abstract

This interpretative descriptive study involved key informants (service providers, managers, directors, and policy makers) who participated in one h telephone interviews to explore their perceptions of influences on successful primary care and public health collaboration. Transcripts were analyzed using NVivo 9.FindingsA total of 74 participants [from the provinces of British Columbia (n=20); Ontario (n=19); Nova Scotia (n=21), and representatives from other provinces or national organizations (n=14)] participated. Five interpersonal factors were found that influenced public health and primary care collaborations including: (1) trusting and inclusive relationships; (2) shared values, beliefs and attitudes; (3) role clarity; (4) effective communication; and (5) decision processes. There were two influencing factors found at the intrapersonal level: (1) personal qualities, skills and knowledge; and (2) personal values, beliefs, and attitudes. A few differences were found across the three core provinces involved. There were several complex interactions identified among all inter and intra personal influencing factors: One key factor - effective communication - interacted with all of them. Results support and extend our understanding of what influences successful primary care and public health collaboration at these levels and are important considerations in building and sustaining primary care and public health collaborations.

An Environmental Scan of Health and Social System Navigation Services in an Urban Canadian Community

“…Our respondents reported role confusion and role overlap due to a lack of careful planning and a lack of shared vision. These results closely align with factors influencing collaboration between primary care and public health which showed that role clarity and having a shared vision and clear mandates between organizations are imperative for collaborative work (Martin-Misener R et al, 2012;Valaitis et al, 2012). Work in primary care and public health collaboration suggest that some of the strongest collaborations can occur when increasing access to care through outreach and care to vulnerable or marginalized populations (Valaitis et al, 2015).…”

Addressing quadruple aims through primary care and public health collaboration: ten Canadian case studies

“…Perhaps the message is to consider more appropriately other influences in which PC-PH collaborations are formed and operate. Researchers on this team have developed an ecological framework depicting different levels of influence (intra-personal, intrapersonal, organizational, and systemic) on PC-PH collaborations [36][37][38][39]. Barriers and enablers to collaboration organized under these levels of influence were identified in the cases presented and align with those identified in our ecological framework thereby providing further evidence to support the framework.…”

“…We selected cases that were brought to our attention through reports and key informants involved in a qualitative study [37][38][39]. Collaborations with less positive experiences could have been included although these were difficult to identify.…”

Effective communication of public health guidance to emergency department clinicians in the setting of emerging incidents: a qualitative study and framework

“…In addition to the knowledge to action cycle, this study links with emerging research on collaboration for the public health sector. Valaitis et al describe an ecological framework for the development and maintenance of successful collaborations between public health agencies and primary care settings [ 26 , 49 ]. In their framework, intrapersonal, interpersonal, organizational and systemic components are described as framing collaboration across sectors [ 49 ].…”