Interprofessional collaboration in Swedish health and social care from a care manager's perspective

Abstract

The aim of this study was to study interprofessional collaboration in health and social care for older people and persons with disabilities from a care manager's perspective. The empirical data was collected at a workshop held during a national conference for care managers and through focus group interviews in two Swedish municipalities. The results showed that the care managers collaborated in different ways with many different professionals from different organisations. The care and discharge planning meetings emerged as the most typical situation where care managers collaborated with different health care professionals. Interprofessional collaboration was seen as a means for care managers to fulfil their assignment and carry out their work. The care manager role encompassed role strain, a relatively weak professional identity, and differences in professional status among those involved in interprofessional collaboration.

Syftet med studien var att studera interprofessionell samverkan i hälso- och sjukvård och social omsorg för äldre personer och personer med funktionsnedsättningar ur biståndshandläggares perspektiv. Empiriska data samlades in vid en workshop i samband med en nationell konferens för biståndshandläggare samt genom fokusgruppsintervjuer i två kommuner i Sverige. Resultatet visade att biståndshandläggare samverkar på flera varierande sätt och med olika yrkesgrupper från flera organisationer. Vård- och omsorgsplaneringsmöten framträdde som den mest typiska situationen där biståndshandläggare samverkar med andra yrkesgrupper inom vård och omsorg. Interprofessionell samverkan sågs som viktig för att biståndshandläggarna skulle kunna fullfölja sin uppgift och utföra sitt arbete. Biståndshandläggarrollen kännetecknas av motstridiga rollförväntningar och en relativt svag professionell identitet. Skillnader i professionell status bland de involverade påverkade samverkan.

Keywords:

• interprofessional collaboration
• care manager
• social work
• professional role
• focus groups

Centrala begrepp:

• interprofessionell samverkan
• biståndshandläggare
• socialt arbete
• professionell roll
• fokusgrupper

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the participants for sharing their experiences. The study was supported by Vårdalinstitutet at Lund and Gothenburg Universities and by Linköping University's Department of Social Work.

Notes on contributors

Anna Dunér, PhD, is Senior Lecturer and Associate Professor at the Department of Social Work, University of Gothenburg. Her primary research interests are ageing and older people, formal and informal support networks for older people and people with disabilities, organisations and professions within social work with older people and people with disabilities.

Maria Wolmesjö, PhD, is Senior Lecturer and Associate Professor at the Department of Social Work, University of Linköping. Her primary research interests are in management and organisation in care of older people and people with disabilities, interprofessional collaboration, user participation, aging and older people, formal support of informal care givers within care of older people and persons with disabilities.

Notes

1. The Swedish National Board of Social Welfare have published a list of recommended skills and knowledge for work with older people (SOSFS 2007:17) and persons with disabilities (SOSFS 2008:32).