Interprofessional Collaboration

Interprofessional collaboration (IPC) occurs when healthcare providers from different disciplines work together with patients and families to deliver comprehensive, coordinated care. The World Health Organization defines IPC as occurring when multiple health workers from different professional backgrounds work with patients, families, caregivers, and communities to deliver the highest quality of care. Core competencies for IPC include: values/ethics (mutual respect for all team members' contributions), roles/responsibilities (understanding each discipline's scope and expertise), interprofessional communication (using structured tools like SBAR, closed-loop communication), and teams/teamwork (shared accountability and collaborative decision-making). SBAR (Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation) provides structured communication during handoffs and urgent situations. Closed-loop communication ensures messages are received accurately: sender delivers message, receiver repeats back, sender confirms accuracy. TeamSTEPPS (Team Strategies and Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety) is an evidence-based framework for healthcare team training. Effective IPC reduces medical errors, improves patient outcomes, increases staff satisfaction, and reduces healthcare costs.