Facilitating Implementation of Interprofessional Collaborative Practices into Primary Care: A Trilogy of Driving Forces/PRACTITIONER APPLICATION

Implementing interprofessional collaborative practices in primary care is challenging, and research about its facilitating factors remains scarce. The goal of this participatory action research study was to better understand the driving forces during the early stage of the implementation process of a community-driven and patient-focused program in primary care titled "TRANSforming InTerprofessional cardiovascular disease prevention in primary care". Eight primary care clinics in Quebec, Canada, agreed to participate by creating and implementing an interprofessionaI facilitation team (IFT). Sixty-three participants volunteered to be part of an IFT, and 759 patients agreed to participate. The authors randomized six clinics into a supported facilitation (supported) group, with an external facilitator (EF) and financial incentives for participants. They assigned two clinics to an unsupported facilitation (unsupported) group, with no EF or financial incentives. The analyses revealed three key forces: 1. opportunity for dialogue through the IFT, 2 active role of the EF, and 3. change implementation budgets. Decision-makers designing implementation plans for interprofessional programs should ensure that these driving forces are activated.