Aims: Structured Interdisciplinary Bedside Rounds (SIBR) is a model of care designed to engage clinicians, patients and their families as integral team members to facilitate patient-centred coordinated care and shared decision-making. The study aim was to evaluate feasibility, acceptability and perceived effectiveness of SIBR in Cancer Care Services at a Queensland tertiary hospital from an allied health service perspective.
Methods: Daily SIBR was established across three Cancer Care services over two wards, with all staff provided with prior online training. Allied health attendance rates were monitored over two weeks at baseline and repeated at 12-months post-implementation. Informal qualitative feedback was obtained at implementation, at six months via an interdisciplinary staff forum, and at 12 months through evaluation surveys which assessed staff views on interdisciplinary care and teamwork.
Results: At 12 months, 68% (15/22) of allied health cancer care staff had completed online training. Daily SIBR allied health staff attendance varied over the 12-month period. Average daily attendance rates at 12 months were: pharmacy 50-60%, dietetics 40-60%, social work 10-50%, physiotherapy 0-40%, occupational therapy 10-30%, and psychology 0-10%. Evaluation surveys were completed by 13 allied health, 25 nurses and 11 doctors. Clinicians reported strong agreement/agreement that they: had high confidence in communicating with others (98%), act respectfully towards each other (98%), have high levels of trust (98%) and felt working together improves quality and safety of care (100%). Allied health SIBR attendance was reported valuable by 100% of nursing and medical staff.
Conclusions: SIBR improved teamwork and was highly valued. Barriers to daily attendance were reported as resource limitations, timing of rounds and other clinical commitments. When the SIBR model was not delivered to protocol, it was viewed by allied health staff as ineffective and inefficient, thus highlighting the importance of training for all staff and adherence to SIBR protocols.