What can organizations do to improve family physicians' interprofessional collaboration? Results of a survey of primary care in Quebec.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the degree of collaboration in primary health care organizations between FPs and other health care professionals; and to identify organizational factors associated with such collaboration.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional survey.

SETTING

Primary health care organizations in the Montreal and Monteregie regions of Quebec.

PARTICIPANTS

Physicians or administrative managers from 376 organizations.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Degree of collaboration between FPs and other specialists and between FPs and nonphysician health professionals.

RESULTS

Almost half (47.1%) of organizations reported a high degree of collaboration between FPs and other specialists, but a high degree of collaboration was considerably less common between FPs and nonphysician professionals (16.5%). Clinic collaboration with a hospital and having more patients with at least 1 chronic disease were associated with higher FP collaboration with other specialists. The proportion of patients with at least 1 chronic disease was the only factor associated with collaboration between FPs and nonphysician professionals.

CONCLUSION

There is room for improvement regarding interprofessional collaboration in primary health care, especially between FPs and nonphysician professionals. Organizations that manage patients with more chronic diseases collaborate more with both non-FP specialists and nonphysician professionals.