Interprofessional collaboration in the renal care settings: Experiences in the COVID-19 era.

BACKGROUND

The role of interprofessional collaboration (IPC) in healthcare is increasingly emphasized. Due to significant comorbidity in renal patients who require highly specialized procedures, proper IPC is an essential component in renal care. During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the existing and proven collaboration mechanisms were put to the test.

OBJECTIVES

To assess IPC in the renal care settings in the era of COVID-19 pandemic.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The survey consisted of the Assessment of Interprofessional Team Collaboration Scale II (AITCS-II) (3 subscales - partnership, cooperation and coordination, maximum of 5 points), questions about work conditions and factors influencing work during the pandemic, as well as demographic data. The survey was distributed in 8 renal care settings (4 hospital wards with dialysis units and 4 individual dialysis units); 127 participants filled out the survey; 26.8% of participants were physicians, 68.5% nurses and 4.7% other staff members, i.e., administrative assistants. Mean work experience in their current team was 16.8 ±11.7 years among nurses and 11.6 ±9.7 years among physicians.

RESULTS

Interprofessional collaboration was assessed by physicians and nurses, respectively, as follows: partnership 4.03 ±0.79 compared to 3.58 ±0.73 (p = 0.003), cooperation 4.28 ±0.59 compared to 3.71 ±0.72 (p = 0.0002), and coordination 3.83 ±0.87 compared to 3.48 ±0.82 (p = 0.04). The specific workplace did not influence the IPC rates; 49.9% of physicians and 40.1% of nurses agreed or strongly agreed that the collaboration worsened during the pandemic; 47% of physicians and 42.4% of nurses admitted that the communication has significantly deteriorated. An increased level of stress, new procedures and fear of getting infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) were, according to the participants, the most significant factors for the worsening of IPC.

CONCLUSIONS

The exceptional circumstances faced during the pandemic have a significant impact on IPC, which may influence patients' satisfaction and safety. An active support for healthcare teams in the field of IPC is especially important in this challenging reality.