Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39838433›Full record

ArticleBMC medical education2025

Health professionals' willingness to share responsibility and strengthen interprofessional collaboration: a cross-sectional survey.

Sophie Karoline Brandt, Stefan Essig, Andreas Balthasar

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC medical education, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Sophie Karoline BrandtFaculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, University of Lucerne, Lucerne, Switzerland. sophie.brandt@bfh.ch.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0009-0460-7292
Stefan EssigCenter for Primary and Community Care, Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, University of Lucerne, Lucerne, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3228-7010
Andreas BalthasarFaculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, University of Lucerne, Lucerne, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9311-022X

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundDoctors' unwillingness to share responsibility acts as a major barrier to interprofessional collaboration (IPC). Educating both doctors and allied health professionals in taking on or relinquishing responsibility could enhance IPC. Yet there is no evidence that these educational efforts increase IPC willingness. This study aims to (1) compare the willingness to take on or relinquish responsibility for decision-making in patient care and their willingness to strengthen IPC between members of five main health professions, and (2) investigate associations between the willingness to take on or relinquish responsibility and the willingness to strengthen IPC.

methodsWe conducted a cross-sectional survey targeting pharmacists, doctors, medical practice assistants, nurses, and physiotherapists in Switzerland. Group differences were assessed, and associations were examined using multivariable logistic regression analyses.

resultsOverall, 3670 health professionals participated. Members of all allied health professions were highly willing to take on more responsibility for decision-making for patient care (ranging from 74.3% to 86.5%). Medical practice assistants (52.3%) and nurses (46.8%) were highly willing to relinquish responsibility, less so pharmacists (34.2%) and physiotherapists (37.8%); doctors were torn between high (49.2%) and neither high nor low willingness (38%). Members of all professions were highly willing to strengthen IPC (ranging from 76.4 to 91.2%). We found a strong, statistically significant relationship between willingness to take on more responsibility and willingness to strengthen IPC (OR = 5.30, p < .001). The relationship between willingness to relinquish responsibility and willingness to strengthen IPC was smaller (OR = 3.30, p < .001).

conclusionIncreasing the health professionals' willingness to take on responsibility is crucial to strengthen IPC. Increasing the willingness to relinquish responsibility would likely be less effective. Actions required include educational and political efforts to transfer responsibility to allied health professionals and to enable health professionals to decide when it is appropriate to take on or relinquish responsibility. Given the willingness of many health professionals to strengthen IPC, substantial potential in practice is evident.

Indexed as

Attitude of Health PersonnelHealth PersonnelProfessional RoleAdultCross-Sectional StudiesDecision MakingFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedAllied health professionalsDecision-makingDoctorsHealthcareInterprofessional collaborationInterprofessional educationResponsibilityWillingness

Identifiers

PMID39838433
PMCPMC11753034

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.