TY  - JOUR
AU  - Nordmann, Kim
AU  - Sauter, Stefanie
AU  - Möbius-Lerch, Patricia
AU  - Redlich, Marie-Christin
AU  - Schaller, Michael
AU  - Fischer, Florian
PY  - 2023
DA  - 2023/6/26
TI  - Conceptualizing Interprofessional Digital Communication and Collaboration in Health Care: Protocol for a Scoping Review
JO  - JMIR Res Protoc
SP  - e45179
VL  - 12
KW  - digital technologies
KW  - interdisciplinary communication
KW  - intersectoral collaboration
KW  - nurse
KW  - physician
KW  - collaboration
KW  - interdisciplinary
KW  - scoping review
KW  - communication
KW  - interprofessional
AB  - Background: Effective communication and collaboration among health professionals are essential prerequisites for patient-centered care. However, interprofessional teams require suitable structures and tools to efficiently use their professional competencies in the service of high-quality care appropriate to the patient’s life situation. In this context, digital tools potentially enhance interprofessional communication and collaboration and lead to an organizationally, socially, and ecologically sustainable health care system. However, there is a lack of studies systematically assessing the critical factors for successfully implementing tools for digitally supported interprofessional communication and collaboration in the health care setting. Furthermore, an operationalization of this concept is missing. Objective: The aim of the proposed scoping review is to (1) identify factors influencing the development, implementation, and adoption processes of digital tools for interprofessional communication in the health care sector and (2) analyze and synthesize the (implicit) definition, dimensions, and concepts of digitally supported communication and collaboration among health care professionals in the health care setting. Studies focusing on digital communication and collaboration practices among health care professionals, including medical doctors and qualified medical assistants, in any health care setting will be included in this review. Methods: To address these objectives, an in-depth analysis of heterogeneous studies is needed, which is best achieved through a scoping review. Within this proposed scoping review, which adheres to the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology, 5 databases (SCOPUS, CINAHL, PubMed, Embase, and PsycInfo) will be searched for studies assessing digital communication and collaboration among various health care professionals in different health care settings. Studies focusing on health care providers or patient interaction through digital tools and non–peer-reviewed studies will be excluded. Results: Key characteristics of the studies included will be summarized through descriptive analysis, using diagrams and tables. We will synthesize and map the data and conduct a qualitative in-depth thematic analysis of definitions and dimensions of interprofessional digital communication and collaboration among health care and nursing professionals. Conclusions: Results from this scoping review may help in establishing digitally supported collaborations between various stakeholders in the health care setting and successfully implementing new forms of interprofessional communication and collaboration. This could facilitate the transition to better coordinated care and encourage the development of digital frameworks. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID): PRR1-10.2196/45179 
SN  - 1929-0748
UR  - https://www.researchprotocols.org/2023/1/e45179
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2196/45179
UR  - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37358886
DO  - 10.2196/45179
ID  - info:doi/10.2196/45179
ER  -