Interprofessional Collaboration and Referral
Collaborative practice
Interprofessional collaboration means working with other professionals toward shared goals, with clear roles, mutual respect, and coordinated communication. It differs from multidisciplinary work (separate, parallel efforts) and from consultation (seeking specific advice).
Core concepts
- Role clarity: know your own scope and the scope of others; avoid both overlap and gaps.
- Shared goal-setting and care planning: agree on outcomes and who is responsible for each action.
- Communication structures: team meetings, shared records, structured handovers, and closed-loop communication (confirm the message was received and understood).
- Referral quality: a good referral states the reason, relevant history, what has been tried, the specific question, and consent status.
- Conflict resolution: address disagreements about the client's care directly, using evidence and the client's interests as the reference point.
- Client and family as team members: include them in decisions.
Common question traps
Questions often reward "refer and stop" rather than maintaining coordinated responsibility, or expect the candidate to give advice outside their scope. Another trap is a referral that lacks a specific question, or a handover that assumes shared understanding without confirmation.
Worked example / rule of thumb
A colleague asks you to advise on medication dosing. Rule of thumb: stay in scope. Acknowledge the question, explain that prescribing is outside your role, and refer to the appropriate professional while offering the information you can provide (e.g., observed response and behaviour data). Document the referral and the specific question asked.