Recruiting organisation: Centre for Resilience in Healthcare (SHARE), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Stavanger, Stavanger
Supervisors: Prof. Sissel Eikeland Husebø, Prof. Karina Aase
Doctoral Candidate: Jicke Höök
Secondments: Amsterdam Public Health research institute, Department of Public and Occupational Health, VUMC (3 months), and NIVEL (3 months), Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Summary: For patients with multimorbidity and complex care needs, handovers between centralized acute care settings and decentralized chronic care settings are vulnerable moments in the provision of care. Poor communication and incomplete information in cross-organisational transitioning transfer between multi-team systems (MTSs) can impede access to needed support and resources. Establishing digital tools to support coordination between MTSs has the potential to support improved communication and collaboration in cross-organisational transitioning. In this project, the Doctoral Candidate will design tools to support transmural patient handovers by describing how MTS perform in transition between centralized acute care settings and decentralized chronic care settings, identifying competencies necessary for MTS to facilitate or hinder the quality and safety of patient handovers, and exploring how digital tools can support MTS competencies in patient handovers. The project is expected to result in an improved understanding of how MTS perform in patient handovers between centralized acute care settings and decentralized chronic care settings, generate knowledge about MTS competencies involved in patient handovers, and provide knowledge on how digital tools in patient handovers can support MTS competencies.
Background
Patients with multimorbidity and complex care needs are among those most likely to experience frequent care transitions between centralized acute care settings and decentralized chronic care settings. For this patient group, transition periods mark vulnerable moments in the provision of care. Achieving high-quality and safe patient care requires coordination within and between multiple teams across organizational boundaries. Multi-team systems (MTSs) consist of two or more component teams that interact to manage a complex healthcare system and achieve a collective goal. Poor communication and incomplete information transfer between MTSs involved in the transition from centralized care settings to decentralized care settings can impede access to needed support and resources. Establishing digital tools to support planning, communication and coordination between MTSs may offer significant advantages and has the potential to support improved communication and collaboration in such cross-organisational transitioning. However, limited evidence of applying digital tools to improve and support coordination processes across MTSs exists.
Approach
This PhD project will focus on Coordination in multi-team healthcare systems. The objectives are to design tools to support transmural patient handovers in multi-team-systems (MTS) by (1) describing how MTS perform (tasks, processes, outcomes) in patient handovers between hospitals and primary care, (2) identifying competencies necessary for MTS to facilitate or hinder the quality and safety of patient handovers and (3) exploring how digital tools can support MTS competencies in patient handovers. The PhD project will be carried out in Norway with data collection in the healthcare practice field.
Our research team
Centre for Resilience in Healthcare (SHARE) constitutes Norway’s largest research group studying quality and safety in healthcare and is affiliated with the Department of Quality and Health Technology at the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Stavanger. SHARE’s strategic vision is to become an internationally recognized research centre by reforming the understanding of quality and safety in current healthcare systems. SHARE’s main pillar is a solid base of PhD scholars conducting research in areas such as interdisciplinary teamwork and competence, co-production and involvement, telecare, regulation, evaluation of improvement measures, and analysis of healthcare processes.
The doctoral candidate will be a part of the multidisciplinary research group in SHARE consisting of 70 researchers, including nurses, medical doctors, psychologists, physiotherapists, occupational therapist, lawyers, sociologist, engineers, and safety scientists. The doctoral candidate will work in a Tools4Teams project group at SHARE involving another doctoral candidate, a project manager, and supervisors.
Planned secondments will take place at Amsterdam University Medical Center (location VUmc, Amsterdam Public Health (amsterdamumc.org)), and Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research (NIVEL), Amsterdam, Netherlands.
University of Stavanger
The University of Stavanger (UiS) has about 12,000 students and 2.200 employees. The university has high ambitions. We strive to have an innovative and international profile, and be a driving force in knowledge development and in the process of societal change. Our common direction is driven by consideration for sustainable change and equitable social development, through new ways of managing natural resources and facilitating better cities and local communities. Energy, health and welfare, learning for life are our focus areas.
In constant collaboration and dialogue with our surroundings, regionally, nationally and internationally, we enjoy an open and creative climate for education, research, innovation, dissemination and museum activities. Academic life at the University of Stavanger is organised into six faculties comprising various departments/schools and National Research Centres, as well as the Museum of Archaeology. We are a member of the European Consortium of Innovative Universities. The university is located in the most attractive region in the country with more than 300,000 inhabitants. The Stavanger region has a dynamic labour market and exciting cultural and leisure activities.
Together with our staff and students we will challenge the well-known and explore the unknown.
The Faculty of Health Sciences offers bachelor’s programmes in Nursing and Paramedic, master’s programmes in Health Sciences with specializations in Public Health Nursing, in Midwifery, in Drug Abuse and Mental Health, in Prehospital Services and in Nursing with specializations in Anesthesia, Intensive Care or Surgical Nursing, and a continuing education programme in Cancer Nursing.
The faculty further offers research education (PhD) in Health and Medicine and the research school PROFRES – National Research School for Professions-Oriented and Practice-Relevant Research in the fields of Health, Welfare and Education. The Faculty of Health Sciences has the following main research areas: Professional Relations in Welfare Professions, Health Promotion in Chronic Ailments, E-learning, Health Technology and Simulation, Life Phenomena and Caring, and Participation in School and Work. The research centre SHARE – Centre for Resilience in Health Care are also part of the faculty. There are currently 250 employees including students and postdocs, and 1400 students at The Faculty of Health Sciences.
The department´s main objective is to facilitate high-quality care for patients and user in healthcare services. The department’s scientific profile is focused on patient safety, health technology, patients’ rights, and the involvement of service users, patients, and next of kin. Overall, the department emphasise an interdisciplinary approach, featuring engagement from students, patients, users, and healthcare professionals in all core activities. There are currently 105 employees, including research fellows and postdocs, at the departement. Competence among department staff spans all levels of healthcare services.