patientsafety.va.gov
As our healthcare system continues to advance and progress, a growing movement towards inter-professionalism has begun. Gone are the days of “the doctor knows bestâ€.
It is no longer about the individual, but rather the entire healthcare team.
This team consists of nurses, physical therapists, speech pathologists, pharmacists, dieticians, translators, and the list goes on and on.
Although you would think this new inter-professional environment would be the new status quo, many hospitals, health facilities, and professionals in the field have failed to adopt this new standard of practice.
However, I believe the old way of thinking will soon be overtaken by the inter-professional approach, as medical and health schools continue to adopt an inter-professional curriculum and instill its ideals in new practitioners of health.
I believe this new approach is essential to advancing not only patient care, but also in maintaining an efficient health care team.
In the real world, patients aren’t treated their whole life by one individual.
They will encounter countless practitioners in several fields of study that are all united by the common goal of taking care of the patient and improving their health. The interaction of all these team members is crucial to the health of the patient.
Without mutual respect and a good line of communication, mistakes can be made and the patient will be the person affected most.I have seen the inter-professional approach work first hand.
In my over 500 hours of physical therapy observation/volunteering, I was also working with nurses, doctors, translators, occupational therapists, speech pathologists, transporters, paramedics, chiropractors, and assistants.
This long list of health care professionals is not what one thinks of when they go through physical therapy, but this intricate orchestra of medical knowledge and expertise is needed to optimize patient care.
In the hospital, these team members meet together to discuss specific patients and decide the best treatment plan. Sitting in on one of these meetings is quite mesmerizing.
Everyone moves at a swift and efficient pace to get the necessary information to the other people taking care of the patient.
Even though we may be unaware of these indispensable meetings, they are always taking place, whether it’s a phone call, email, or a note in the patient’s file. Therefore, it cannot be understated how important teamwork and interpersonal communication is to the health care team.
As I previously mentioned, many health schools are beginning to adopt this new vision of health care. Before transferring to SXU, I was at Saint Louis University.
In my freshman year, I already had three courses in inter-professional health care and I was immediately drawn to this system of teamwork and communication amongst health professions.
This diversity in health education is what drew me to Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine Science.
They are at the forefront of inter-professional health care curriculum. I will be attending Rosalind Franklin’s Physical Therapy program, starting this summer, and I am confident that I will be fully prepared to enter this modern health care system.
I believe that teaching young and upcoming health professionals about the importance of inter-professionalism should be at the base of every medical curriculum. It is imperative to eliminate the old, closed way of thinking about the health care system and open our minds to the need for a team of professionals that each have their own specialty and purpose.
Zach Heppner
Viewpoints Editor