The increasing complexity of care for older people in long-term and rehabilitation care in nursing homes requires adequate and appropriate interprofessional collaboration. Interprofessional collaboration involves the complementary working together of a group of multidisciplinary team members and experienced experts, each contributing to the realization of a shared goal from their own expertise and experience. This doctoral research focuses on interprofessional collaboration in long-term care (including geriatric rehabilitation) in the nursing home and the collaboration between the university and the nursing home for the realization of complex elderly care according to evidence-based practice.
Systematic review
A systematic review was conducted in 2021 to investigate the facilitators and barriers that influence interprofessional collaboration. In addition, an overview is given of measuring instruments that measure interprofessional collaboration.
Qualitative study with focus groups and interviews
Subsequently, research into collaboration in daily practice was conducted in 2022. This qualitative study used focus groups and interviews to collect data on perceived facilitators of and barriers to interprofessional collaboration in both long-term care and geriatric rehabilitation. This study was conducted with all stakeholders (clients, informal caregivers, and healthcare professionals) in both long-term and rehabilitation care.
Observational study
Simultaneously, data was collected for study three, an observational study of interprofessional collaboration during multidisciplinary team meetings (MDTMs) in geriatric rehabilitation. Furthermore, the MDTM participants completed a questionnaire about the collaboration.
Survey and interview research
The fourth and fifth studies focus on the interprofessional collaboration between the university and the nursing home within academic networks for elderly care in the Netherlands. They examine the current method of interprofessional collaboration between all stakeholders involved in academic networks for elderly care. Besides, how employees who connect science and practice in academic networks for elderly care experience there role.