Formation of a Collaborative Interprofessional Primary Healthcare Deprescribing Research Team in Nova Scotia

Abstract

Study objective: To describe the development of a collaborative interprofessional primary health care deprescribing research team in Nova Scotia.

Methods: Initiated by two College of Pharmacy faculty members, a core group of 6 health care researchers with an interest in forming an interprofessional primary health care deprescribing research team met in 2016. Based on positive feedback, the next steps involved building the team which included 1) creating the team (determination of needed expertise; description of roles and responsibilities); 2) establishing goals/objectives; 3) determining team functioning (leadership, ascertainment of common mission, determining communication strategies and delineating decision-making approaches); and 4) monitoring team outputs (e.g. presentations, publications, grants); and team functioning (e.g. discussions at team meetings, team assessment survey, social network analysis).

Results: The first team meeting was in April 2017, and as of January 2019 the team had expanded to 9 core members with research assistants/students added to the team as necessary. At initial team meetings, the two College of Pharmacy faculty members assumed a co-leadership role, established the overarching goal of the team, set specific objectives and reached a consensus on various aspects of team functioning. The team has received five grants. Eight posters/oral presentations have been presented and two manuscripts are in preparation. A team assessment survey was completed in the spring of 2018 which resulted in changes to communication strategies. A social network analysis is underway. Conclusions: An interprofessional deprescribing primary health care research team was successfully formed in Nova Scotia. This success has hinged on a team committed to working well together, sharing common goals, effective communication, positivity towards the research and celebrating successes.