The article “Chronicle of Health Creation” by Weeks dwells upon the concept of interprofessional teams in the national pain strategy. It is stated that pain management requires an integrative approach that presupposes the collaboration of different healthcare professionals (Weeks par. 6). It is also stressed that the use of interprofessional teams is becoming more common, but there are still various gaps in this area that can be removed with the help of effective on-job training and formal education.
The article is relevant to the field of integrative care and the use of interprofessional teams as it unveils some peculiarities of this approach in pain management. It is necessary to note that the use of interprofessional teams has been discussed quite extensively in news and scholarly articles. For instance, researchers and practitioners share their knowledge on the effectiveness of this approach in particular spheres. Pain management is also the area where the integrative approach has become widely discussed. Researchers note that the quality of services provided is increasing when interprofessional teams are in the play, and the personnel’s confidence plays a significant role in this process. It is stressed that this approach is effective in chronic care as well, and it is associated with the effective collaboration of professionals and provision of high-quality healthcare services. Professionals working in interprofessional teams share knowledge and experience. Practitioners also apply different perspectives and insights to address particular issues. Obviously, any health problem has many features and causes, which makes it important to look at it from different angles. In simple terms, professionals employ different skills and methods that turn out to be beneficial for the patients’ health and wellbeing. Moreover, researchers note that the use of interprofessional teams leads to the lower level of the personnel’s burnout as well as a high level of care.
The article in question touches upon the topic of education and training that is relevant to the integrative approach (Weeks par. 13). It has been acknowledged that this method should become an integral part of the medical curriculum. For example, many researchers concentrate on interprofessional education in nursing homes and stress that it positively affects the delivery of care. It is clear that on-job training and formal education should include the integrative approach as practitioners should be equipped with skills to effectively collaborate in interprofessional teams. It has been found that the method may be implemented inefficiently, which results in the personnel’s dissatisfaction with the approach and the provision of low-quality care. Therefore, medical schools and every healthcare facility should make sure that they provide the necessary training to future, new practitioners and experienced healthcare professionals. The use of interprofessional teams should become a part of hospitals’ organizational culture.
In conclusion, it is possible to note that the article in question unveils some peculiarities of the use of interprofessional teams in pain management. It is relevant to the field as it draws practitioners’ and researchers’ attention to the problem. The method is still underdeveloped and lacks formal or standardized practices. Healthcare professionals still lack important skills that could allow them to provide care in a more efficient way. The formation process, the choice of professionals, communication, and collaboration are still areas to research and improve. At that, the discussion of the issue will inevitably translate into the development of specific methods and tools that will be applicable in various settings.
Works Cited
Weeks, John. “Chronicle of Health Creation: Are Integrative Health and Medicine Part of the National Pain Strategy?” The Huffington Post, 2016. Web.