Moving on from structured communication to collaboration: a communication schema for interprofessional teams

Objectives: We describe a conceptual framework for an approach towards an effective and collaborative communication strategy among interprofessional health care team members.Methods: Interprofessional health care team members apply different communication techniques to share healthcare data. They are often not taught how to recognize and respond to the challenges carried by emotions and pressure to conform among team members. Those two factors have the potential to affect the quality and outcome of communication with a resulting suboptimal clinical decision-making. Here, we developed a Communication Schema that addresses the three critical concepts that are embedded in any conversation, namely: 1 – understanding the contribution of social interaction in teamwork, 2 – recognizing and managing triggered emotions, and 3 – effective inquiries and exploration of points of view.Implications: We call on extending the traditional view of teamwork as a collection of skills to include the reality of interprofessional practice where people working together are influenced by social experience and expectations. The learning conversation schema offers a tool that is sensitive to innate threats to effective communication in working environments and allows its users to circumvent obstacles to optimum shared decision-making.