Chapter 7

The Importance of Communication & Collaboration

What I've Learned

Overall, this case taught me that through interprofessional collaboration, we can provide safe patient care. Being work ready for practice means being able to participate on an interprofessional team. To do this, we need to be comfortable using our voice to raise concerns and address our patients’ issues and healthcare needs.

Of course, it can be difficult to keep the patient at the centre of care. Especially within a Canadian healthcare setting, where financial and funding constraints mean that hospital and healthcare organizations are under increased pressure to make care as efficient as possible.

As healthcare providers, we often feel rushed to move on to new cases, or we face roadblocks if a case requires a non-standard approach.

It’s important to remember that our level of collaboration can determine whether or not….

Back in their home and thriving OR…

Readmitted to the hospital with new injuries.

Questions for Herminia

The patient’s needs and preferences are considered and included in the plan of care, when the patient is the centre. Care revolves around the patient’s needs and not the team’s needs.

A road block is something that prevents quality patient care from occurring. It stands in the way between the patient’s needs and safe, quality care.

A non-standard approach means that the patient’s care has been adapted or revised from the standard or typical practice to care that is modified to meet that specific patient’s needs and preferences.

Health care in Canada is funded by provincial governments, and some patients have additional private health care insurance to pay for extra care that the government plan does not pay for. However, there is a limit to government money and how much or how long the government will fund certain health care practices. The money limitations is referred to as a financial or funding constraint. There are limited financial resources so healthcare practitioners try to spend the dollars on care efficiently by not wasting money.