Interprofessional collaboration (IPC) in primary care research

Background: Practice-based research networks (PBRNs) are important facilitators of sustained collaborations between practitioners and researchers. They work together on research questions that are relevant to practice and translate new knowledge into practice to ultimately benefit the health of Australians. Currently, the PBRNs in Australia are predominantly general practice-based. Ideally, primary care research should be interprofessional and collaborative. However, anecdotally, interprofessional collaboration in research (IPCR) is still challenging in primary care. There is a need to understand the barriers and facilitators to IPCR and the formation of PBRNs for non-medical disciplines. Aims/Objectives: This study aims to identify the barriers and facilitators to IPCR, and to use the findings to inform the establishment of primary care PBRNs, particularly in non-medical health disciplines. Research method: This Honours project is a qualitative research study using in-depth semi-structured interviews with primary care health professionals including general practitioners, pharmacists, optometrists, physiotherapists, nutritionists, and primary health care nurses. Interviews will be recorded and transcribed. Data will be thematically analysed. Findings: This project has human research ethics approval from the University of Melbourne. Data collection started in early April and will continue for 4 months. Preliminary results will be presented at this conference. Implications: Findings from this study will inform the promotion of IPCR and the establishment of PBRNs, particularly in non-medical disciplines. These will have the potential to lead to more impactful research conducted by multidisciplinary practitioners and researchers, increased research capacity of healthcare professionals, and improved practices and patient health outcomes.