Using Partnerships to Create An Interprofessional Obstetrical Team in a Primary Care Setting

Accessible obstetrical care is increasingly more difficult for both health care professionals to provide and patients to utilize. Fewer family physicians choose to provide obstetrical care and the problem is further compounded by an increasing demand for such services. The creation of a Low Risk Maternity Clinic by a Calgary area Primary Care Network (PCN), in partnership with the Calgary Health Region provides services for those either without a doctor or those whose doctor does not provide OB services. The clinic is composed of several professions such as family physicians, registered nurses and nurse practitioners. Other team members are currently being accessed through referral. Benefits of an interprofessional team are innumerable, but how effective is this specific team and what areas for improvement exist? What are their needs defined not only by health care professionals themselves, but by other key stakeholders such as patients and PCN and regional health authority stakeholders? Are there opportunities to incorporate other professions to increase collaboration, knowledge and quality of care? Data is being collected through key stakeholder interviews, surveys with patients, and through examining clinic utilization data. Demonstrable outcomes include the number of patients attending the clinic, continuity of care defined by perceptions of patients and health care providers, number of referrals, and satisfaction of patients and care providers. Implications for future research and practice include: demonstrating the needs of an interprofessional Low Risk Maternity Clinic; understanding team dynamics and creating effective and efficient teams; and how the practice of the interprofessional team impacts outcomes at the patient (e.g., birth outcomes, continuity of care), provider (e.g., job satisfaction, team functioning), and system (e.g., access to care) levels.