title: Development and evaluation of a "working together" framework and a tool kit to enhance inter-organizational relationships in healthcare.
abstract: Healthcare is in a constant state of change and evolution driven by a multitude of complex factors and interactions. Consequently, organizations, teams and individuals in healthcare have to habitually realign their working relationships. Furthermore, research has shown that "working together" relationships fail in the absence of a defined framework. In this research, a novel framework and a tool kit for working together have been developed and evaluated. The framework has a formal process to articulate the intended purpose/outcome, clearly align the type of working relationship with the purpose and identify the barriers and facilitators to working relationships in healthcare.
authors.affiliation: Lynn Edwards, BSc Nutrition, PDt, MHSA, Executive Training for Research Application (EXTRA) fellow, is the health services director responsible for primary healthcare and the District Department of Family Practice in Capital Health District Health Authority, in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Lynn facilitates system transformation by overseeing the strategic development and operations of a systems approach to the delivery of primary healthcare.
authors.forename: Lynn
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Edwards
authors.affiliation: Rick Gibson, BSc (General Studies), MD, FCFP, EXTRA fellow, is a family physician and chief of the Capital Health District Department of Family Practice.
authors.forename: Rick
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gibson
authors.affiliation: Shannon Ryan Carson, BSc (Psych), BSc (OT) Reg (NS), MSc Health Management, EXTRA fellow, is a health services manager in primary healthcare at Capital Health. She supports the development, implementation, management and evaluation of community-based, primary healthcare programs, initiatives and services.
authors.forename: Shannon Ryan
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Carson
authors.affiliation: Tara Sampalli, PhD, is the assistant director of quality, research and knowledge management in primary healthcare, Capital Health. She is also assistant professor in the Department of Medical Informatics at Dalhousie University, in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Tara can be contacted by email at tara.sampalli@cdha.nshealth.ca.
authors.forename: Tara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sampalli
mesh_terms: D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D010559:Personnel Management / Q000379:methods*; D016730:Program Development / Q000379:methods; D015397:Program Evaluation / Q000379:methods