Consensus about GP interprofessional competencies: A nominal group study

Background Since the requirements for collaboration in primary care increase, effective interprofessional teamwork between general practitioners (GPs) and other primary care professionals is crucial. The need for more training in interprofessional collaborative competencies is widely recognised. However, existing competency frameworks do not sufficiently specify interprofessional collaboration to guide interprofessional competency development.

Aim Consensus among GPs and other primary care professionals on interprofessional competencies that GP and GP-trainees should learn.

Design & setting Qualitative consensus study among Dutch GPs and other primary care professionals, all with expertise in primary care interprofessional collaborative practice.

Method Three nominal group sessions were held, each resulting in its own group consensus on GP interprofessional collaborative competencies. The researchers conducted a content analysis to merge and thematise the prioritised competencies into one list. Participants prioritised this list of competencies. A pre-set cut-off point was applied to determine the overall consensus on core GP interprofessional competencies.

Results Eighteen professionals from nine different disciplines participated. The content analysis resulted in 31 unique competencies of which fourteen competencies were prioritised in the final ranking into three main themes: 1. Professional identity development and role definition by the GP. (three competencies); 2. Developing and executing shared care plans for individual patients (6); 3. Setting up and maintaining interprofessional collaborative partnerships.(5)

Conclusion An interprofessional group of experts reached consensus on 14 competencies within 3 themes. This framework provides a steppingstone for GPs to focus on their development regarding interprofessional collaboration.