Top 5 benefits of collaboration in healthcare

Why is collaboration in healthcare so important?

Patient care is a collaborative endeavor. Delivering a high-quality patient experience and healthcare requires knowledge, skills, and efforts from interprofessional teams. Teamwork also reduces the burden on healthcare providers so they can focus on their core, critical operations. 

In this blog, we explore the benefits of promoting collaboration in healthcare and expert recommendations to improve the same. 

How can collaboration improve healthcare outcomes?

Interprofessional collaboration in healthcare strengthens the team as they can put together skills and experience from different team members. Here's exactly how collaboration in healthcare improves the quality of different aspects of healthcare systems.

1. Enhanced patient care quality

When healthcare professionals with different skill sets, knowledge, and experience come together, they can offer a better quality of patient care. 

For example, the best way to treat a patient with injuries on his/ her legs is to bring together the expertise of a physical therapist and an occupational therapist. 

The physical therapist can focus on treating and monitoring the health of the patient's muscles. In contrast, the occupational therapist shall concentrate on enabling patients to perform their day-to-day activities. 

2. Reduced errors

When healthcare professionals come together to treat patients, different perspectives lead to shared decision-making. This reduces the probability of common errors and inaccuracies in medication and misdiagnoses. 

A Johns Hopkins study shows that over 250,000 deaths in the US happen primarily due to medical errors. 

Also, healthcare professionals working in a collaborative ecosystem pave the way for quicker, timely interventions mitigating the risk involved. This is more important in healthcare, where every second matters. 

A study shows a 56% reduction in mortality from bariatric surgery and 175,000 lab tests being prevented due to collaborative efforts. 

3. Improved patient satisfaction

Collaboration in healthcare helps patients access a higher-quality service and seek timely interventions. They get an opportunity to experience diverse treatment options. When treated right, they are less likely to return for readmissions. 

For example, the collaborative healthcare mechanisms led by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan show a 53% reduction in discharges to extended care post-surgery. 

When fewer errors occur, patients get well quickly, enhancing patient experience and trust. It also minimizes treatment costs, which prompts inclusivity and helps people avail of quality healthcare at affordable rates. 

4. Exchange of knowledge between healthcare workers

When healthcare professionals work together, they communicate closely, leading to a healthy exchange of ideas, knowledge, and perspectives.

Imagine a patient being rushed to the emergency on account of chest pain. First, a doctor in the emergency department would diagnose him. Then, a cardiologist would check and order critical tests. A radiologist would do the tests and send the reports to the cardiologist. 

After diagnosis, the patient shall be monitored by nurses, a dietician, and a junior doctor doing routine rounds. Based on the diagnosis, he would also be attended to by a pulmonologist, nephrologist, or other professionals. 

Now, when all these specialists come together to treat a patient, there is an enormous knowledge exchange. Doctors and medical staff often communicate through text, video, or voice, aiding shared decision-making.

➡️ Leaders in healthcare need to be mindful of HIPAA compliance not only with their patient-facing communication tools, but also with internal collaboration.

Learn how to use Microsoft Teams and Slack in a HIPAA-compliant way.

5. Higher healthcare staff retention

When healthcare professionals collaborate, they get to share their workload, which prevents burnout. The professionals also approach complex problems together. The supportive culture relieves them of the stress that gets in otherwise when they have to do it alone. 

Such a supportive work culture helps them balance their personal and professional lives. Also, collaboration in healthcare systems creates a sense of attachment and bonding between the professionals. They feel a lot more contented and satisfied than working in silos. 

As interprofessional collaboration involves exchanging knowledge and skills, professionals learn continuously. This increases their confidence as a professional and eventually improves retention rates. 

8 ways to improve interprofessional collaboration in healthcare

Now that you know the benefits and importance of collaboration in healthcare, let us delve deeper into the means of achieving the same. 

1. Provide the right collaboration tools

The first step to promoting a strong interprofessional collaboration among healthcare professionals is to establish tools and processes for clear communication. For example, a cardiologist will need input from a nurse who makes periodic observations and maintains records. A pulmonologist will require reports from a radiologist. 

The key is investing in the right collaboration tools and streamlining communication between professionals. Having open-sourced, customizable and HIPAA-compliant tools like Rocket. Chat helps protect patient data and records while healthcare professionals involved in the treatment use them in communication.