Author: Hudson B
Journal: Journal of Interprofessional Care, 2002
Volume/pages: Vol 16(1), pp7-17

About the study
This article discusses interprofessional working in primary care specifically between GPs, social workers and community nurses. It reports on an empirical study conducted in the North of England and analyses the findings in the context of a framework of interprofessional partnership. The author explores the 'pessimistic tradition' of interprofessional working that is dominated by concerns of professional identity, status, discretion and accountability. He argues that poor interprofessional working could compromise good integrated working and proposes a series of 'optimistic hypotheses'.

Findings
The study found a large difference in how interprofessional teams worked together in different settings which in turn led to variations in the way services were provided. While teams where the different professions worked in relative isolation from each other team members were more likely to work to closely defined profession-specific roles. Whereas in teams that were more inclusive, professional boundaries were more likely to be blurred with care management decisions being made as a whole team.

Key messages

• Members of one profession may have more in common with members of a different profession than with members of their own.
• The promotion of professional values of trust and service to users can form the basis of interprofessional partnership.
• Socialisation to an immediate work group can override professional or hierarchical differences among staff.
• Professionals and bureaucracies can join forces in a collective effort to achieve their goals.
• Effective interprofessional working can lead to more effective service delivery and user outcomes.