Interprofessional Collaboration Among Complementary And Integrative Health Providers In Private Practice And Community Health Centers

Abstract

Background: The current healthcare environment is placing increasing emphasis on interprofessional collaboration (IPC). IPC may be of particular importance to complementary and integrative health (CIH) providers who have historically practiced in silos. The extent to which these providers are collaborating with each other and with other providers is not known. Purpose: Investigate aspects of IPC occurring in a sample of CIH providers. Method: A qualitative health services study using semi-structured interviews. Discussion: CIH providers were found to be collaborating with each other and other providers. Subjects indicated IPC had a positive impact on practice and on patient care. Educating students and practitioners about other health disciplines was seen as being key to collaboration between professions, as was being able to communicate using terms others could understand. Conclusions: Results of this study can contribute to broadening the scope of IPC, improve clinical outcomes, improve efficiency for healthcare systems, and may be useful to institutions engaged in training CIH providers in development of curricular content.