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ABSTRACT
To face the increasing prevalence of diabetes in Switzerland, a cantonal programme has been implemented. One of its goals is to promote collaborative approaches among healthcare professionals (HCPs). The objectives of the current study were to examine HCPs’ perceptions about the collaboration they experience in diabetes care and to determine whether perceptions differed among professional groups. A mixed-methods study was conducted. First, a total of 332 HCPs comprising diabetes specialists and non-specialists participated by completing a questionnaire on interprofessional collaboration. Focus groups were then led in order to deepen the understanding and complement the interpretation of quantitative results. Quantitative results showed a perception of a moderate level of collaboration. Mean scores for specialists were systematically worse than those of non-specialists and more prominently in the “level of conflict dimension,” which means that specialists generally perceived a lower level of collaboration and a higher level of possible conflict associated with it. Qualitative results highlighted the vagueness in role definition and emphasised a form of reluctance by general physicians to collaborate with specialists, as the physicians felt that they were losing their responsibilities. The findings suggest that it is not the need to collaborate that encourages HCPs involved in collaborative schemes to desire or to know how to successfully initiate, promote, or conduct interprofessional collaboration. This study highlights the important perceptions about collaboration that could be taken into account when planning future collaborative programmes.
Declaration of interest
The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.
Funding
This study was financially supported by the by the Department of Public Health of the canton of Vaud (‘Programme cantonal Diabète’) and by the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health—FOPH. Prof. I. Peytremann-Bridevaux is currently supported by a Swiss School of Public Health + (SSPH+) Assistant Professorship grant.
Notes
1. It should be noted that focus groups were conducted in French; therefore, we translated the quotations into English while respecting the meaning (semantic content).