1.3 Communication and teamwork
The commonwealth Government’s Nursing in General Practice (NiGP) initiative acknowledges that general practice is operating in a changing environment. It requires multidisciplinary team-based approaches to delivery of care in order to meet the health care needs of the community. Multidisciplinary teams with GPs as essential members will be central to population health initiatives, community development activities and clinical encounters.4
Effective team relationships don’t just happen. they take time and require leadership, a sense of direction, good organisation and information systems, efficient communications, training and team building.
Communication systems may include: formal policies and procedures; common templates for recording information; job descriptions and role delineation; as well as methods to recognise and work with any conflicting interests.
The aim of such systems is to acknowledge the different specialties, interests and abilities of each member of the general practice team. the benefits that may result include not only better outcomes for patients but increased job satisfaction, and increases in the cost effectiveness and efficiency of service delivery.
Regular meetings and information exchange provide opportunities for communication and also reinforce the team work approach. Regular review and discussion can lead to resolution of issues that may become barriers to effective teamwork.
An examination of relevant research has found that effective primary care teams require:
• clarity about the role and expertise of each member
• flexible funding and employment strategies
• willingness to allocate tasks according to skills and joint responsibility for outcomes
• regular and effective communication
• support and ongoing education for team members
• rigorous and innovative research and evaluation into team processes, economic costs and patient outcomes and acknowledgment of the
• context in which teams operate.5
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