A new way of thinking? Exploring professionals’ perspectives on the sustainability of interprofessional team meetings: A focus group study

Abstract

Abstract Background Interprofessional collaboration is essential to address the complex challenges in primary care. One widely used method for this purpose is interprofessional team meetings. Although the benefits are generally known, maintaining these meetings after their introduction remains challenging. Objective To understand the aspects influencing the sustainability of interprofessional team meetings. Methods An exploratory qualitative study was conducted with professionals (n = 39) from seven interprofessional teams that met regularly to coordinate elderly patient care. Data were collected through seven focus group discussions. Content analysis was applied, guided by the Consolidated Framework for Sustainability, to identify barriers, facilitators, and needs. Results Common barriers included unclear networks, lack of shared goals, and limited time, whereas facilitators involved strong team dynamics, clear structures, and flexibility. These findings point to five key needs: (i) adaptive team composition in response to patient care issues, (ii) shared ownership within interprofessional teams, (iii) shared meetings’ aims and work agreements, (iv) a balanced structure with clear procedures, supportive tools and room for flexibility, (v) and a satisfactory perceived quality of the meetings. Conclusion This study shows that nurturing team dynamics, tailoring organisational structures, and embedding ongoing evaluation are essential beyond patient care. This may need a new way of thinking to enhance the sustainability of interprofessional team meetings in primary care.