André Vyt

Interprofessional and transdisciplinary teamwork in health care.

The article focuses on the need for and the characteristics and positive consequences of interdisciplinary teamwork in health care. Interprofessional collaboration is an important element in total quality management. Factors that determine the success of team work are described, such as a management that promotes openness and an administrative organization that promotes interdisciplinary consultation. Other factors have to do with leadership, shared goals and values, meeting management and planning skills, communication, and also the (degree of) knowledge and the (quality of) perception of competences of other health care workers. The shared care plan is stressed as an important tool. In this, the joint planning of goals for intervention and care is essential. Health care workers with different professional knowledge and background have to harmonize their intervention plan according to the competences and goal settings of the other team members. The core of effective interprofessional teamwork is the presence of interprofessional competences such as these. A brief description of the components and performance criteria of the competence of interprofessional collaboration is given. Copyright

Maternal personality and parenting cognitions in cross-cultural perspective

A total of 467 mothers of firstborn 20-month-old children from 7 countries (103 Argentine, 61 Belgian, 39 Israeli, 78 Italian, 57 Japanese, 69 Korean, and 60 US American) completed the Jackson Personality Inventory (JPI), measures of parenting cognitions (self-perceptions and knowledge), and a social desirability scale. Our first analysis showed that the Five-Factor structure of personality (Openness, Neuroticism, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness) could be extracted from the JPI scales when cross-cultural data from mothers in the 7 countries were analyzed; it was also replicable and generalizable in mothers from so-called individualist and collectivist cultures. Our second analysis showed that the five personality factors relate differently to diverse parenting cognitions in those individualist versus collectivist cultures. Maternal personality has significance in studies of normative parenting, child development, and family process across cultural contexts.

The second year of life as a developmental turning point: Implications for «sensitive» caretaking

In the context of the transactional view on development, important changes in the second year of life are highlighted which demand parental adaptations in caregiving practice. The discontinuous growth of enriched cognitive functions in the toddler, as exemplified by Piagetian theory on development of intentionality and symbolic thinking and by recent findings about the emergence of self-awareness and mastery-motivation, meshes with changes in caregiving dimensions. The caregiver, seen as a catalyst for the development of cognitive and social competence must adjust himself to the developmental tasks the infant is coping with. The concept of sensitivity is examined in terms of two important aspects: the social and the didactic. From a Vygotskian standpoint, didactic strategies are very important for cognitive competence. Parents have to facilitate self-initiated learning and to adjust to the infant’s increasing cognitive functions. The influence of a didactic «matching» on overall parent-infant interaction quality, and especially on the quality of attachment, is stressed.RésuméLes changements importants au cours de la seconde année de vie, qui exigent que les parents adaptent leur pédagogie, sont étudiés ici dans la perspective théorique du transactionnisme. Au développement des fonctions cognitives, tel qu’il apparaît, par exemple, dans la description piagétienne du développement de l’intentionnalité et de la pensée symbolique, ou dans les recherches récentes sur l’émergence de la conscience de soi et sur la motivation de compétence, se mêlent des changements dans les pratiques pédagogiques. Le parent, que l’on peut considérer comme un catalysateur du développement cognitif et social, doit s’ajuster aux tâches cognitives que l’enfant vient à maîtriser. Le concept de «sensivité» est examiné dans ses composantes sociales et didactiques. Selon Vygotsky, les stratégies didactiques sont cruciales pour le développement de la compétence cognitive. Les parents doivent aider l’enfant à prendre lui-même l’initiative de ses apprentissages, et ajuster leurs interventions à ses progrès cognitifs. L’accent est mis sur le rôle de cette «concordance didactique» dans la qualité générale de l’interaction parent-enfant, et particulièrement sur la qualité de l’attachement.

The perceived quality of interprofessional teamwork in an intensive care unit: A single centre intervention study

ABSTRACT This article describes a study that evaluated the quality of teamwork in a surgical intensive care unit and assessed whether teamwork could be improved significantly through a tailor-made intervention. The quality of teamwork prior to and after the intervention was assessed using the Interprofessional Practice and Education Quality Scales (IPEQS) using the PROSE online diagnostics and documenting system, which assesses three domains of teamwork: organisational factors, care processes, and team members’ attitudes and beliefs. Furthermore, team members evaluated strengths and weaknesses of the teamwork through open-ended questions. Information gathered by means of the open questions was used to design a tailor-made 12-week intervention consisting of (1) optimising the existing weekly interdisciplinary meetings with collaborative decision-making and clear communication of goal-oriented actions, including the psychosocial aspects of care; and (2) organising and supporting the effective exchange of information over time between all professions involved. It was found that the intervention had a significant impact on organisational factors and care processes related to interprofessional teamwork for the total group and within all subgroups, despite baseline differences between the subgroups in interprofessional teamwork. In conclusion, teamwork, and more particularly the organisational aspects of interprofessional collaboration and processes of care, can be improved by a tailor-made intervention that takes into account the professional needs of healthcare workers.

A Typology of Interprofessional Teamwork in Acute Geriatric Care: A Study in 55 units in Belgium

To explore the quality of interprofessional teamwork in acute geriatric care and to build a model of team types.

Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice in Health and Social Care: The Need for Transdisciplinary Mindsets, Instruments and Mechanisms

Interprofessional education and collaborative practice in health and social care have on several occasions been put forward by the World Health Organization as necessary for improving healthcare. Science policy of today strengthens a specialisation drift within disciplines. If we make human health the focus rather than professional identities, then a rethinking of higher education is necessary in which a dynamic interplay should be possible between disciplines.

Utilizing the “Plan, Do, Study, Act” Framework to Explore the Process of Curricular Assessment and Redesign in a Physical Therapy Education Program in Suriname

Purpose To describe how a multinational team worked together to transition a physical therapy (PT) educational program in Paramaribo, Suriname, from a Bachelor level to a Master of Science in Physical Therapy (MSPT) level. The team was made up of PT faculty from Anton De Kom Universiteit van Suriname (AdeKUS), the Flemish Interuniversity Council University Development Cooperation (VLIR-UOS) leadership, and Health Volunteers Overseas volunteers. In this case study, the process for curricular assessment, redesign, and upgrade is described retrospectively using a Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) framework. Method PT educational programs in developing countries are eager for upgrade to meet international expectations and to better meet community health-care needs. An ongoing process which included baseline assessment of all aspects of the existing bachelor’s program in PT, development of a plan for a MSPT, implementation of the master’s program, and evaluation following implementation is described. Conclusion Curricular assessment and upgrade in resource-limited countries requires the implementation of process-oriented methods. The PDSA process is a useful tool to explore curricular development. The international collaboration described in this paper provides an example of the diligence, consistency, and dedication required to see a project through and achieve success while providing adequate support to the host site. This project might provide valuable insights for those involved in curricular redesign in similar settings.

Reply to: Interprofessional Teamwork in Acute Geriatric Care: Where Are the Pharmacists?

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