title: Perceived quality of interprofessional interactions between physicians and nurses in oncology outpatient clinics.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the perceived quality of interactions between nurses and physicians in oncology outpatient clinics.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional, observational survey involving 250 physicians and nurses was conducted at oncology outpatient clinics at two regional cancer centres in the province of Ontario, Canada. Eligible participants were identified by administrators and invited to complete a one-time survey questionnaire. Quality of interactions was assessed using a seven-item survey of relational coordination, which measures two factors of interaction: supportive relationships and quality communication. Descriptive analyses and multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVA) were conducted to assess potential differences between the two study sites and the two professional groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, nurses and physicians at both study sites rated their interactions highly (mean = 4.32 and 4.51 out of 5 for supportive relationships and quality communication, respectively). No difference in either factor was reported between physicians and nurses at either study site, but the two study sites differed significantly in both factors [F(2, 245) = 7.54, p < 0.001].
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Overall, oncology nurses and oncologists at outpatient clinics rated their levels of interprofessional interaction highly. Contextual factors may have contributed to the high interaction scores and different ratings between the two cancer centres. The finding that nurses and physicians reported similar levels of perceived interactions suggests that relationships in these outpatient cancer clinics are highly collaborative and collegial.
authors.affiliation: Daphne Cockwell School of Nursing, Ryerson University, 350 Victoria Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Electronic address: lee.charlotte@ryerson.ca.
authors.forename: Charlotte T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Diane M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Doran
authors.affiliation: Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Ann E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Tourangeau
authors.affiliation: Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Neil E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Fleshner
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003142:Communication; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009859:Oncology Nursing; D009864:Ontario; D019555:Physician-Nurse Relations; D011787:Quality of Health Care
keywords: Integrated care delivery; Interprofessional collaborative practice; Nurse-physician relationships; Relational coordination