Comparison in perceptions and attitude towards effective communication and teamcollaboration amongpediatric physicians and nurses following the implementation of multidisciplinary interventions

ABSTRACT

Background: Effective communication among physicians and nurses in in-patient settings is associated with better patient care1, increased teamwork, and job satisfaction2, however, no literature has addressed the concern of the gap in perception of communication between physicians and nurses.3 this study aims to explore the perceptions of physicians and nurses toward proper communication and collaboration before and after an intervention. The study period encompassed before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional pilot survey was administered in September-November 2015 in pediatrics in-patient wards at Hamad Medical Corporation (Doha, Qatar) followed by a post-intervention program survey in November-December 2020. The interventions included establishing a multidisciplinary unit-based council involving physicians and nurses, and a communication skills course for physicians. The questionnaire included details of demographics, perceptions towards proper communication, and collaboration in daily clinical practice. Questions used a 3-point Likert scale. Result: 124 responses (66% physician/44% nurses) were obtained in 2015 and 83 responses (51% physician/49% nurses) in 2020. The physicians' reported perceptions improved for nearly all survey questions, often in a statistically significant way, but it was not the case for their enjoyment of collaboration which was reduced by 10% points (p = 0.01) (Table 1). The enjoyment of collaborating with the other professions declined for the physicians (p = 0.01) whereas it improved for the nurses, but it was not statistically significant (p = 0.06). For the nurses, their perception improved across all items, but less often in a statistically significant manner. In general, nurses had higher levels of satisfaction regarding communication and team collaboration (Figure 1). Conclusions: Our study showed that physicians and nurses' perceptions improved post-interventions. Nurses seemed to be more affected by the interventions. The biggest effect was in decision sharing as both had almost a similar improvement. Promoting communication and collaboration in a complex clinical environment is paramount. Interventions such as multidisciplinary rounds and adapting structured communication tools improve organizational culture.