Recorded presentation

Lise Goulet, MD, PhD¹, Danielle D'Amour, RN, PhD², Raynald Pineault, MD, PhD¹, Jean-François Labadie, BA³, and Martine Remondin, MSc³. (1) Département de médecine sociale et préventive/GRIS, Université de Montréal, C.P. 6128, succursale Centre-ville, Montréal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada, (514) 343-2442, lise.goulet@umontreal.ca, (2) Faculté des sciences infirmières/GRIS, Université de Montréal, C.P. 6128, succursale Centre-ville, Montréal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada, (3) GRIS, Université de Montréal, C.P. 6128, succursale Centre-Ville, Montréal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada

In 2002, we conducted a study in four socio-sanitary regions of the Province of Quebec in order to identify an optimal interorganizational perinatal care continuity model. A qualitative and quantitative approach was used. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 33 administrators and health professionals, and 1236 mothers (70.8%) were interviewed one month after delivery. The model developed by D’Amour was used to assess the level of interorganizational collaboration. Four dimensions underlie this model (governance, finalization, formalization and internalization). The mothers telephone survey provided data with regard to: services (accessibility and continuity), reactivity and health. Our findings showed that two regions presented a high level of interorganizational collaboration («collaboration in action»), one was of the «collaboration under construction» type and the last one of the «collaboration in inertia» type. In the former two regions, postnatal responsibilities had been transferred to the local community heath authorities. These regions are also characterized by a central political and professional leadership, a real focus on client needs rather than on professional needs and trustful interprofessional relationships which enable responsibility sharing. The analysis of the quantitative data revealed that the collaboration-in-action regions perform the best in terms of services (96.1% of the mothers are visited following discharge compared to 81.1% in the other regions) and reactivity. The effect of collaboration on health was harder to isolate since health indicators reflect both the health status and the needs of the population. The socio-economic and geographic attributes of the region remain major determinants of health outcomes.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant in this session will be able to

• list the four domains and the ten variables that characterize the collaboration structuring process;
• assess the level of collaboration that prevails in his (her) own professional environment;
• discuss the effects of interorganizational collaboration on postnatal follow-up services (accessibility and continuity) and reactivity.

Keywords: Access and Services, Maternal and Child Health

Related Web page: www.gris.umontreal.ca/congeprecoce

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

Recorded presentation