Facilitating and hindering factors in interprofessional clinical reasoning: a scoping review.

Abstract

Interprofessional clinical reasoning is essential for ensuring quality and safety in healthcare, yet evidence remains fragmented, with limited integration of contextual and organizational factors. This scoping review aimed to identify facilitating and hindering factors influencing interprofessional clinical reasoning in healthcare and their implications for patient safety and quality of care. The review followed the JBI methodology and the PRISMA-ScR checklist. Searches were conducted in five databases, with additional studies identified through reference screening. Eligible empirical studies published in English, Portuguese, or Spanish were analyzed thematically using a combined deductive and inductive approach and organized into three domains: organizational culture, non-technical skills, and decision-making. Forty studies were included. Facilitating factors comprised process systematization, supportive organizational culture, structured communication, shared leadership, role clarity, and collaborative decision-making, particularly when supported by simulation-based interprofessional education. Hindering factors included disorganized environments, hierarchical structures, communication failures, cognitive and emotional biases, and limited mutual understanding among team members. Most interventions lacked theoretical frameworks or long-term evaluation. Interprofessional clinical reasoning emerges from the interplay between interpersonal, cognitive, and contextual factors. These findings support the development of targeted educational strategies and assessment tools to strengthen collaborative reasoning and improve patient outcomes while informing future research grounded in theoretical frameworks.