Table 1 Results from the thematic synthesis of the literature
Themes | Characteristics | ||
|---|---|---|---|
Climate | • Interprofessional atmosphere | • Team culture | • Trust |
• Valued contributions | • Nurturing consensus | • Participative safety | |
|  |  | • Personal qualities | |
Communication | • Formal/Informal structures | • Completion/Reading care plans | • Use of shared case notes |
• Intra-team communication |  | • Regular case conferences | |
Individual characteristics | • Knowledge/experience | • Interpersonal team relationships | • Common goals |
• Interpersonal skills | • Listening skills | • Different opinions/perceptions | |
• Personal characteristics | • Understanding own role/others roles | • Exploring/Acceptance role overlap | |
Interdependence | • Mutual support | • Willingness to share | • Professional synergy |
• Reciprocity within team | • Team relationships |  | |
Leadership | • Role of physicians | •Need for chairperson role |  |
Learning | • Action based learning | • Nurturing a learning culture | • Training within clinical teams |
• Interprofessional learning |  |  | |
Patient focus | • Patient centeredness | • Outcomes focus | • Team care planning and discussion |
• Holistic care | • Timely interventions | • Impacts of reduced contact time | |
Perceptions | • Differing perceptions of own role, others roles, team work |  |  |
Power | • Equality of relationships | • Hierarchical/traditional role of medicine | • Assertiveness/confidence |
• Power/Status | • Reluctance to voice opinions | • Scapegoat (Victimization) | |
Problem solving/decision-making | • Proactive approach | • Physician role |  |
• Creativity |  |  | |
Professional commitment | • Professional identity | • Professional jargon | • Tensions/rivalry |
• Role expectations | • Knowledge/skills | • Jealousy | |
Roles | • Autonomy | • Role enactment | • Role boundaries/delineation/decision making |
• Role modeling | • Role clarity | ||
Skills | • Core professional competencies, skills, tasks | • Sharing of knowledge/information/skills | • Differing levels of skill acquisition |
Structures | • Organizational factors | • Goal planning | • Time |
• Team building | • Common location | • Team meetings/case conferences | |
Team characteristics | • Capacity | • Size | • Accessibility after hours |
• Dynamics/Balance | • Membership | ||
Values | • Philosophy | • Shared goals/objectives | • Practice context |
|  | • Staff commitment |  | • Positive attitude |