Biomedical subjects

Guro Huby

Publications and source records attributed to Guro Huby.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2005

Evaluation and development of integrated teams: the use of Significant Event Analysis.

Significant Event Analysis (SEA) is a practical, problem-solving technique that can help teams learn from their experiences and generate practical solutions to complex issues. It has mainly been conducted in Primary Health Care Teams (PHCTs) with the use of an external facilitator. Although SEA is envisioned to address issues of integration and complement routine audit, there is limited evidence that this has been achieved. This paper reports on a 1 day workshop during which team members were trained to use SEA to address issues of service integration. This paper presents an evaluation of the workshop in order to determine if SEA is a feasible tool to support and encourage team self-evaluation without external facilitation. The main barriers to SEA are discussed as well as the need for longitudinal research to assess the impact of SEA on integration of the team and wider service.

Education↗

PubMed2005

The effectiveness of quality improvement tools: joint working in integrated community teams.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effectiveness of integrated care pathways in facilitating integration in community-based teams. DESIGN: Case comparison of models of integrated care pathways in two different settings: community mental health teams in one Scottish region and care of the elderly rapid response teams in three Scottish regions. In both settings, an integrated care pathway was used as a tool for integration, but in different ways. Comparison is made by first identifying key factors structuring team-work in both settings, then analysing how the constellation of these factors results in different dynamics of team-work in each setting. The pathway tool used in each setting is then outlined and an analysis presented of how the tool interacts with the organizational dynamics in and around the teams to produce observed outcomes in each setting. RESULTS: In both settings impact of tool was shaped by the same organizational dynamics which produced the nature of team-work. In neither setting was the tool optimally effective in improving integration. In community mental health teams a prescriptive, management-driven integrated care pathway was introduced. This presumed a degree of task sharing in teams which was absent. It was resisted by the teams. In rapid response teams a flexible, team-driven pathway tool was being introduced to help teams conceptualize and communicate about the service. This approach fitted with autonomy and task sharing in rapid response teams and uptake was good. However, management did not engage. CONCLUSION: The effectiveness of the tool in both settings requires attention to organizational context.

Aged↗

PubMed2004

Joint working in community mental health teams: implementation of an integrated care pathway.

Abstract Integration of community mental health services is a key policy objective that aims to increase quality and efficiency of care. Integrated care pathways (ICPs) are a mechanism designed to formalise multi-agency working at an operational level and are currently being applied to mental health services. Evidence regarding the impact of this tool to support joint working is mixed, and there is limited evidence regarding the suitability of ICPs for complex, community-based services. The present study was set in one primary care trust (PCT) in Scotland that is currently implementing an ICP for community mental health teams (CMHTs) across the region. The aim of the study was to investigate professionals' experiences and views on the implementation of an ICP within adult CMHTs in order to generate learning points for other organisations which are considering developing and implementing such systems. The study used qualitative methods which comprised of individual interviews with three CMHT leaders and two service development managers, as well as group interviews with members of four adult CMHTs. Data was analysed using the constant comparison method. Participants reported positive views regarding joint working and the role of an ICP in theory. However, in practice, teams were not implementing the ICP. Lack of integration at higher organisational levels was found to create conflicts within the teams which became explicit in response to the ICP. Implementation was also hindered by lack of resources for ongoing support, team development and change management. In conclusion, the study suggests that operational systems such as ICPs do not address and cannot overcome wider organisational barriers to integration of mental health services. Integrated care pathways need to be developed with strategic input as well as practitioner involvement and ownership. Team development, education about integration and change management are essential if ICPs are to foster and support joint working in integrated teams.

Community Mental Health Services↗

PubMed2002

Morale among general practitioners: qualitative study exploring relations between partnership arrangements, personal style, and workload.

OBJECTIVES: To explore general practitioners' experiences of wellbeing and distress at work, to identify their perceptions of the causes of and solutions to distress, and to draw out implications for improving morale in general practice. DESIGN: Three stage qualitative study consisting of one to one unstructured interviews, one to one guided interviews, and focus groups. SETTING: Fife, Lothian, and the Borders, South East Scotland. PARTICIPANTS: 63 general practitioner principals. RESULTS: Morale of general practitioners was explained by the complex interrelations between factors. Three key factors were identified: workload, personal style, and practice arrangements. Workload was commonly identified as a cause of low morale, but partnership arrangements were also a key mediating variable between increasing workload and external changes in general practice on the one hand and individual responses to these changes on the other. Integrated interventions at personal, partnership, and practice levels were seen to make considerable contributions to improving morale. Effective partnerships helped individuals to manage workload, but increasing workload was also seen to take away time and opportunities for practices to manage change and to build supportive and effective working environments. CONCLUSIONS: Solutions to the problem of low morale need integrated initiatives at individual, partnership, practice, and policy levels. Improving partnership arrangements is a key intervention, and rigorous action research is needed to evaluate different approaches.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗