3 When is a Collaborative Team Approach Needed?

As risk and complexity increase, so does the need for a collaborative team approach.

In multiprofessional practice, a group of persons work in parallel, creating a series of individual care plans.

But in collaborative practice, a team works together to create a shared and integrated care plan.

Multiprofessional vs. Interprofessional Practice

© OIPC, UofM, 2024. This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.

“It is ironic, indeed, to realize that a football team spends 40 hours per week practicing teamwork for those 2 hours on a Sunday afternoon when their teamwork really counts. Teams in [healthcare organizations] seldom spend 2 hours per year practicing, when their ability to function as a team counts 40 hours per week.”

(Wise, 1974, p. 56)

“A collaborative approach makes sure that everybody is working towards the same common goal and that that people’s experiences and knowledge can contribute to the solution. So it’s important as professionals to work together, but also all members of the team, including patients and families who know their situation best. So working together, solving problems, finding solutions is the goal for all of us.”

Lanette Siragusa, nurse