The following is a summary of “It’s Not Us Versus Them”: Building Cross-Disciplinary Relationships in the Perioperative Period,” published in the APRIL 2023 issue of Pain Management by Sasnal, et al.

In the perioperative period, Palliative care (PC) interventions have been proven to improve the quality outcomes for surgical patients, but they are still not utilized enough. Increasing cross-disciplinary relationships between providers can increase PC consults. However, the features of collaborative relationships and how they evolve are not clear. For a study, researchers sought to understand the perceptions of PC providers and surgeons on how cross-disciplinary relationships were built and maintained in the perioperative period. 

The study was a cross-sectional multiphase qualitative study that involved 23 semistructured interviews with 10 PC teams (20 providers) and 13 surgeons from various geographically distributed Veteran Health Administration (VHA) sites. The researchers used a team-based thematic analysis approach with a dual review (Krippendorf α above 0.8). 

The results revealed that successful collaborative relationships between PC and surgeons had six key features, including mutual trust, mutual respect, perceived usefulness, shared clinical objectives, effective communication, and organizational enablers. Additionally, the study identified a framework of six strategies for developing collaborative relationships between PC and surgical teams during the perioperative period, including being present, available, and responsive; understanding roles; establishing communication; recognizing an intermediary and connecting role of supporting team members; working as a team; and building on previous experiences. 

The findings of the study can be used to improve the quality of care for seriously ill patients by involving PC better in the perioperative period. Future research would explore how patients’ perspectives impact the outcomes of their providers’ collaboration at the intersection of PC and surgery.

Reference: jpsmjournal.com/article/S0885-3924(23)00001-5/fulltext