Improving the quality of care through communication arena

Purpose: Collaboration has become an increasingly more common strategy when developing care sectors while, coincidentally, experience and research show that collaboration development may be problematic in itself. This study aims to achieve better understanding of collaboration processes.

Method: A local project that aimed at improving the quality of healthcare and social care by developing the co-operation between organizations took place in Sweden, and by using participatory action research, PAR, this process was followed between 2004 and 2008. Material was gathered through participant observation from the perspective of patients, relatives, staff, managers and politicians. A descriptive narrative was compiled and a hermeneutic interpretation was performed.

Results: Initially, the development of collaboration was impeded due to lack of communication between the participants from various levels within the organizations. With the support of PAR, communication arenas were arranged to handle social interaction as well as different perspectives and conflicts, which led to improved collaboration within the organizations as well as between the care organizations.

Conclusion: Development of collaboration between organizations reflects how collaboration within one organization works. Collaboration is a social and interpersonal phenomenon, and readily available communication arenas are crucial for its development.