Exploring the collaboration between formal and informal care from the professional perspective – a systematic review

Background: Collaboration between formal and informal care is not always effective and both groups have different perspectives on providing care for the client (Broese van Groenou et al., 2015). Improving this collaboration it... [ view full abstract ]

Background:
Collaboration between formal and informal care is not always effective and both groups have different perspectives on providing care for the client (Broese van Groenou et al., 2015). Improving this collaboration it is necessary to understand both perspectives.
Method:
A systematic review of qualitative literature is performed exploring this collaboration from the professional perspective. Based on inclusion criteria and a quality appraisal of the methodology, using Critical Appraisal Skills Program (CASP), from the N = 1151 studies finally 22 were included. Results are based on a metasummary and metasynthesis of these articles.
Results:
Two important things stand out: 1) professionals are more sensitive towards the client than to the informal caregiver 2) there are different perspectives on the collaboration and formal care is more positive than informal care.
Conclusion:
Satisfactorily working with informal caregivers requires a different way of performing of professionals. Professionals are not only focussed on enabling participation of the client but also on supporting the informal caregiver. The urgency to meet the support needs of informal caregivers is high and professional’s knowledge how to support these needs is necessary. Thereby professionals hardly receive any training in family intervention.
Application to Practice:
It is a future challenge to incorporate new competences in the curriculum of professionals regarding working with family carers.

References
Broese Van Groenou, M.I., Jacobs, M.T., Zwart-Olde, N.E. & Deeg, D.J.H. 2015, “Mixed care networks of community-dwelling older adults with physical health impairments in the Netherlands”, Health and Social Care in the Community. 10.1111/hsc.12199