Relational coordination and staff outcomes among healthcare professionals: a scoping review

ABSTRACT

Relational coordination (RC) is a process of coordinating work between professionals that can be used as a framework to enhance interprofessional collaborative practice (IPCP) in various healthcare settings. RC encompasses four communication dimensions (frequent, timely, accurate, problem-solving) and three relational dimensions (shared knowledge, shared goals, mutual respect). RC has been associated with better staff and patient outcomes; it has wide applicability, and it has been examined nationally and internationally in various healthcare settings. The aim of this scoping review is to identify and synthesize available evidence on RC and staff outcomes among healthcare professionals. Literature searches were conducted on articles published between May 2000 until February 2020. Sixteen abstracts were screened from four databases (PubMed, Psych Info, CINAHL, and Scopus). Eleven empirical studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Articles were excluded if they did not measure RC and staff outcomes. RC was reported as positively associated with higher job satisfaction, better work engagement, lower burnout, lower turnover, and reciprocal learning among healthcare professionals. Literature on this topic is scarce, despite RC being a promising framework for healthcare professionals in various disciplines to enhance IPCP and improve staff outcomes across healthcare settings.

KEYWORDS:

• relational coordination
• job satisfaction
• work engagement
• burnout

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Dr. Jody Hoffer Gittell for her review of and feedback on this article.

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Sherita House

Dr. Sherita House is a Postdoctoral Fellow at Indiana University School of Nursing. Her research area of interests are interdisciplinary collaboration and health systems research

Margaret Wilmoth

Dr. Margaret Wilmoth is the Executive Dean of Academic Affairs at the University of North Carolina School of Nursing. Her research interest is psychosocial oncology.

Rebecca Kitzmiller

Dr. Rebecca Kitzmiller is an Assistant Professor at the University of North Carolina School of Nursing within UNC’s Health Informatics Program. Her areas of interest include interpersonal interaction, trust and leadership, and interdisciplinary quality improvement.