Gap analysis of strategies for promoting interprofessional teams in healthcare units

Abstract

Abstract Introduction The effectiveness of a healthcare unit is largely dependent on how well its interprofessional teams work together. Unfortunately, there are often shortcomings in the strategies used to improve these teams. To address this issue, a study was conducted to analyze the performance gap in the area of strategies for promoting work teams in healthcare units. Method In this study, a mixed-method approach was utilized to systematically review qualitative and quantitative studies focused on identifying strategies for enhancing interprofessional teams in healthcare units. The researcher employed an Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA) to evaluate the effectiveness of strategies aimed at improving interprofessional teams in four specialized clinical training centers located in Hamadan province, Iran. Fining This research conducted a systematic review to identify the necessary dimensions and components to enhance interprofessional teamwork in health systems. A gap analysis was then carried out to evaluate strategies for promoting interprofessional teams in medical centers. Based on the systematic review, the solutions for promoting interprofessional teams were categorized into seven categories, including contextual, strategic, communication, organizational, individual, Human Resources Management (HRM), and environmental aspects. These categories consist of a total of 36 components. The gap analysis results indicate that the HRM aspect shows the largest performance gap (1.243), followed by the organizational aspect (0.588), the individual aspect (0.499), and finally, the contextual aspect (0.496). The HRM aspect has been identified as an area of weakness despite its high importance and its performance is significantly below the ideal level. On the other hand, the environmental aspect is relatively less important and falls under the category of resource wastage. Some critical components such as incentives/rewards/attention to workforce needs, roles and responsibilities, financial resources to support work, facilitate team-initiated innovation and the culture of respect fall under the weak area. Conclusion Implementing teamwork in healthcare can be challenging due to the complexity of structures and the involvement of various specialist employees. However, with the right strategies and tools, these barriers can be overcome, leading to an improvement in the quality of healthcare and ensuring the health of the community. The IPA tool allowed for the identification of weak points, wasted resources, and acceptable areas to improve interprofessional teamwork in medical centers.