Interprofessional collaboration in the care delivery pathway for patients with COPD – experiences of nurses and physical therapists: a qualitative study

Figures & data

Figure 1. Illustration of the Swedish healthcare system related to this study.

Table 1. Background information of study participants.

	Occupation	Age	Gender	Years in occupation	Years working with COPD
P1	N	48	W	20	3
P2	PT	31	W	6	1.5
P3	PT	31	M	5	1
P4	PT	41	W	15	12
P5	PT	33	M	8	5
P6	N	69	M	46	20
P7	PT	37	W	2	2
P8	PT	42	W	20	18
P9	PT	64	W	27	20
P10	N	41	W	18	5
P11	N	52	W	30	5

Abbreviations: COPD: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; M: man; N: nurse; PT: physical therapist; W: woman.

Table 2. Examples of the analysis.

Meaning units	Code	Sub-category	Category
It could be that you don’t really know what the work looks like at the different levels of care. And there probably would have been some value in having a networking meeting to check and find out… ‘how do you work in the municipality with these patients and specialised care and how we [in primary care] work and…’ so that you get a little better insight and understanding how you work in the different levels of healthcare.	Need for increased knowledge between levels of healthcare	Important professional dialogue and acquaintance	Desired collaboration to boost competence
But I think that a…sort of COPD patient education more regularly could be really good to make use of each other’s competencies.	Make use of each other’s competencies	Interprofessional support

Abbreviation: COPD: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Table 3. Categories and subcategories developed in the analysis.

Categories	Inadequate organisational support	Desired collaboration to boost competence	Patients left to cope by themselves
Subcategories	Insufficient time and continuity Unclear routines Disrupted process Work from different angles	Unclear physiotherapeutic role Important professional dialogue and familiarity Interprofessional support	Insufficient COPD competence Low priority Individual professional responsibility Responsibility placed on a silent patient group

Abbreviation: COPD: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Table

How do you encounter patients with COPD in your work? Describe your role and your routines/working methods when working with these patients. Do you feel that you have the skills you need to work in this way with these patients? How do you experience the interprofessional collaboration within your ward/primary care centre/municipality regarding patients with COPD? Which professions are included? How do you experience the interprofessional collaboration in the care delivery pathway vis-à-vis other wards/primary care centres/municipalities regarding patients with COPD? What areas of improvement regarding the care delivery pathway or interprofessional collaboration /if any/ do you see in your workplace for this patient group, based on your profession? What are the strengths regarding the care delivery pathway or interprofessional collaboration that you see in your practice (for this patient group)? Are there strengths and/or areas of improvement you can influence?

Data availability statement

The participants of this study did not give written consent for their data to be shared publicly, so due to the sensitive nature of the research supporting data is not available.

Box 1. Interview guide used in the individual interviews.

Table

How do you encounter patients with COPD in your work? Describe your role and your routines/working methods when working with these patients. Do you feel that you have the skills you need to work in this way with these patients? How do you experience the interprofessional collaboration within your ward/primary care centre/municipality regarding patients with COPD? Which professions are included? How do you experience the interprofessional collaboration in the care delivery pathway vis-à-vis other wards/primary care centres/municipalities regarding patients with COPD? What areas of improvement regarding the care delivery pathway or interprofessional collaboration /if any/ do you see in your workplace for this patient group, based on your profession? What are the strengths regarding the care delivery pathway or interprofessional collaboration that you see in your practice (for this patient group)? Are there strengths and/or areas of improvement you can influence?