Collaboration in Pediatric Primary Care

Multidisciplinary Cooperation in Pediatric Clinical Rotation
In the provision of healthcare services, I have observed diverse healthcare professionals
work together and share their expertise. Healthcare workers also work closely to share their
knowledge and skills in the delivery of patient services. Nurses, clinical officers, and pharmacists
work together to take care of patients (Babiker et al., 2014). I have observed that groups of
healthcare professionals have roles that are clearly outlined. In areas that need important
decisions to be made, multidisciplinary cooperation has worked towards ensuring that proper and
sound decisions are made. I have observed that nurses, clinical officers, and pharmacists
collaboratively work together and share resources. The team takes care of patients who visit the
healthcare facility and assesses the patient’s situation before proceeding with a full-range treatment
plan. The team also works well in ensuring that parents are educated about disease prevention
and methods that they can use to boost healthcare outcomes.
Impact of Multidisciplinary and Family Collaboration on Patient Outcomes
Teamwork poses various advantages in the healthcare setting. A team has the ability to
achieve more than an individual. A team that cuts across professional boundaries is likely to
improve patient outcomes (Babiker et al., 2014). One thing that I have observed is the fact that
multidisciplinary collaboration helps boost the quality of decisions made. Multidisciplinary
collaboration helps in the generation of ideas that aid in the diagnosis and treatment of patients.
Determining the diagnoses as well as developing health care plans is significantly improved
through multidisciplinary collaboration (Busari, Moll, & Duits, 2017). In addition, procedures

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that need to be conducted in the health care setting are significantly improved through
multidisciplinary collaboration.
In the healthcare setup, multidisciplinary collaboration helps in boosting collective
intelligence. A team that comprises of individuals drawn from different disciplines in healthcare
has the ability to perform a wide variety of tasks. The participation of nurses, clinical officers,
and pharmacists in the provision of healthcare results in higher collective intelligence (Busari,
Moll, & Duits, 2017). I have observed that information sharing improves with multidisciplinary
collaboration. The collective expertise of the team has enabled the healthcare facility to achieve
positive results related to improved patient care. In addition, through collaboration with family
members, healthcare professionals are able to make the relevant followup. Family collaboration
helps improve patient engagement (Bellou & Gerogianni, 2007). For example, I have noted that
through collaboration with family members, the patients are able to adhere to the prescriptions
given. Children tend to be more collaborative if they feel safe. It is necessary that parents are
present during their child’s hospitalization.
Collaboration with family members creates a safe environment that fosters the
achievement of healthcare goals. Parents are the main sentimental support of their children. If
children and their parents are separated, it creates a problem in the healthcare setting. Parents
need to be given the relevant comforts and facilitation in order to remain in the hospital. A child
feels safe near their parents and guardians (Bellou & Gerogianni, 2007). Children are afraid of
pain and medical procedures. Through collaboration with family members, healthcare
professionals can manage to ensure that the psychology of the children is kept in check. Children
can thus get healed quicker in the presence of their parents or family members.
How I have Improved Communication and Collaboration

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One thing that I have done is ensuring that I invite the input of other team members. I
have avoided making decisions alone and have instead opted for consultations before making the
decisions. I have ensured that I consult with both members of my department and individuals
who do not work in my department. I have also ensured that I interact with healthcare
professionals with the utmost respect. I have ensured that I seek clarifications where necessary to
ensure that communication barriers are eliminated effectively.
A Case Where Collaboration Improved Patient Satisfaction
One particular case involved a child who was complaining of stomach pains. The child
was examined by a doctor. Various tests were conducted by the laboratory department. The
patient was later admitted and was under the care of nurses. The parents were provided with the
relevant accommodations. Through providing the parents with accommodation, the child felt
safe. The pharmacists administered drugs to the patients, and the nurses helped in ensuring that
the patient adhered to the drugs prescribed. The family was informed about all relevant medical
procedures, and this helped the family have a greater understanding of their son’s illness.
Through collaboration, systemic delays were eliminated, and the process of admitting the patient
went on swiftly. After the patient was discharged from the healthcare setting, the parents were
advised on recovery and lifestyle changes that needed to be undertaken. Dieticians helped the
parents to identify the changes that needed to be made. A future appointment was scheduled, and
the patient observed all the appointments. The parents were asked to give their feedback through
the hospital’s website. The parents were satisfied with the care that their son was given in the
hospital.
Barriers to Collaboration

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There are many barriers that affect collaboration. One revolves around role clarity. In
some instances, a hospital may have talented healthcare professionals who fail to function
effectively. Teamwork relies on every member of the team being able to execute their roles
effectively (Babiker et al., 2014). In some instances, roles have not been clear, leading to
inefficiencies as well as delays. Some members, especially nurses, have felt that their role is
insignificant. This has adversely affected the delivery of services to the patients. Another issue
relates to trust and confidence. In some instances, multidisciplinary collaboration has been
adversely affected by a lack of trust (Babiker et al., 2014). In instances where trust has lacked,
multidisciplinary cooperation has proven ineffective. Lack of trust has created high-stress
situations in the workplace. Instead of team members concentrating on the betterment of the
team, team members have concentrated on individual abilities, and this has affected the working
of the team.
Another problem stems from personal differences. Personal differences are always bound
to be there in any team setting. However, personal differences have posed a challenge to
multidisciplinary cooperation. Disagreements between healthcare professionals affect the
attainment of the common goal. In instances where the leadership has failed to intervene,
personal differences have escalated and created a problem. When team members fail to get over
their differences, it creates a problem.

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References

Babiker, A., El Husseini, M., Al Nemri, A., Al Frayh, A., Al Juryyan, N., Faki, M. O., … & Al
Zamil, F. (2014). Health care professional development: Working as a team to improve
patient care. Sudanese journal of paediatrics, 14(2), 9.
Bellou, P., & Gerogianni, K. G. (2007). The contribution of family in the care of patient in the
hospital. Health science journal, (3).
Busari, J. O., Moll, F. M., & Duits, A. J. (2017). Understanding the impact of interprofessional
collaboration on the quality of care: a case report from a small-scale resource limited
health care environment. Journal of multidisciplinary healthcare, 10, 227.