Alam Tracy, Pardee Michelle, Ammerman Beth, Eagle Megan, Shakoor Kelly, Jones Heather
Department of Health Behavior and Biological Sciences, University of Michigan School of Nursing, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
J Am Assoc Nurse Pract. 2024 Jul 23;37(7):413-421. doi: 10.1097/JXX.0000000000001053. eCollection 2025 Jul 1.
Interprofessional collaboration can improve the quality of care in complex health conditions often seen in underserved populations. Communication is key to effective collaboration, and digital communication tools can enhance information sharing, collaboration, and satisfaction between professionals, especially when teams are distanced.
In a semirural student-run free clinic that provides care to uninsured and underinsured patients with multifaceted health issues, there is a gap in communication and collaboration across interprofessional teams because of the frequent rotation of various staff, part-time hours, and electronic health record (EHR) function and interoperability limitations.
The aim of this nurse practitioner-led quality improvement project was to determine whether implementing digital communication tools could enhance communication and improve provider collaboration and satisfaction during clinical decision-making among the several interprofessional teams at the student-run free clinic.
Digital communication tools were implemented in a two-part intervention: (1) virtual case conferences to discuss patient care plans and (2) an EHR-linked tool to document the care plans.
Survey evaluation across six virtual case conferences found above-average ratings for collaboration, satisfaction, and usability of the EHR-linked tool. There was a 15.78% improvement in global collaboration from the first to third conference, with a sustained improvement of 11.49%. Satisfaction improved by 4.62% from the first to the fourth conference.
Digital communication tools can facilitate efficient communication and collaboration among staff while providing a more streamlined approach to patient care. These technologies can be useful in similar settings, especially when teams are distanced.
跨专业协作能够提升在服务不足人群中常见的复杂健康状况下的护理质量。沟通是有效协作的关键，而数字通信工具能够加强专业人员之间的信息共享、协作及满意度，尤其是当团队成员身处异地时。
在一家半农村地区由学生运营的免费诊所中，该诊所为患有多方面健康问题的未参保和参保不足患者提供护理服务。由于各类工作人员频繁轮岗、兼职工作时间以及电子健康记录（EHR）功能和互操作性限制，跨专业团队之间存在沟通与协作的差距。
这个由执业护士主导的质量改进项目旨在确定实施数字通信工具是否能够在学生运营的免费诊所的几个跨专业团队的临床决策过程中加强沟通、改善提供者之间的协作及满意度。
数字通信工具通过两部分干预措施得以实施：（1）虚拟病例讨论会，用于讨论患者护理计划；（2）一个与电子健康记录相关联的工具，用于记录护理计划。
对六次虚拟病例讨论会的调查评估发现，与电子健康记录相关联的工具在协作、满意度及可用性方面的评分高于平均水平。从第一次会议到第三次会议，整体协作提高了15.78%，并持续提高了11.49%。从第一次会议到第四次会议，满意度提高了4.62%。
数字通信工具能够促进工作人员之间的高效沟通与协作，同时为患者护理提供更简化的方法。这些技术在类似环境中可能会很有用，尤其是当团队成员身处异地时。
