Interprofessional Relations in Healthcare

Interprofessional Relations

• Interprofessional relations involve a partnership between a team of health providers and a client in a participatory, collaborative, and coordinated approach to shared decision-making around health and social issues.
• This collaborative practice includes communication and decision-making, enabling a synergistic influence of grouped knowledge and skills.

Health Care Professionals

• The American Medical Association recognizes over 80 health care-related careers.
• Examples of health care professionals include:
  • Physicians
  • Pharmacists
  • Nurses
  • Allied health professionals (also known as paramedicals)
• Allied health professionals provide health care services and perform tasks under the direction of physicians.

The Health Care Team

• The health care team consists of all health care professionals responsible for patient care, including the patient.
• Team members interact directly with the patient, but rarely meet as a group, instead exchanging information and recommendations through written documentation.

Roles of Team Members

• All members contribute their profession’s unique knowledge and skills to the team.

Pharmacists' Role

• Pharmacists are the “drug experts” on the team, responsible for:
  • Developing and monitoring therapeutic regimens
  • Providing drug information and education services to patients and the team

Students' Role

• Students have a unique role on the health care team, representing their profession
• Students are expected to carry out their professional responsibilities under the direct supervision of licensed professionals

Interprofessional relations involve collaboration between healthcare professionals and clients to make shared decisions about health and social issues. This approach combines knowledge and skills to achieve better outcomes.