A Mixed Methods Evaluation of Interprofessional Collaborative Practice for Older Adults

As the population ages, healthcare systems will need to adapt to better care for older adults. New models of care will need to be created to meet the unique needs of older people. Although there is research supporting the use of interprofessional collaborative practice (IPCP), further investigation is necessary to elucidate the barriers and facilitators affecting systemic implementation of this model of care and its long term outcomes. This dissertation aimed to fill gaps in the literature base regarding IPCP and its utilization as a model of care for older adults. First, an integrative review of the barriers and facilitators to IPCP for community-dwelling older adults served to situate this dissertation within the current literature. Then a metasynthesis of IPCP team members’ experiences caring for older people uncovered the perspectives of the professionals utilizing this model of care. Challenges and advantages of IPCP from the viewpoint of IPCP team members are presented. Then, The Neuman Systems Model Perspective of Nurse-Led IPCP is proposed based on an analysis of the Neuman Systems Model. The formation of The Neuman Systems Perspective of Nurse-Led Interprofessional Collaborative Practice and its use in guiding the final study in this dissertation is explored. Finally, the results of an evaluation of a nurse-led IPCP intervention for community-dwelling older adults is presented and the relationship between IPCP and the observed reduction in Emergency Department visits for the participants is discussed. These manuscripts provide the foundation for a comprehensive program of research investigating the underlying barriers and facilitators to systemic implementation of IPCP for community-dwelling older adults