| This study focused on the perceptions of health care providers collaborating in community based teams. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used to examine the experiences of community pharmacists, family physicians and home care nurses as they collaborated together to maintain or improve community-dwelling high risk patients' health by improving the quality of their medication use. The providers' experience of working in a team was examined for signs that a power sharing partnership had developed. Each of the four components of the power sharing partnership was explored: shared decision-making, respect and trust, shared goals, and communication. In addition, the importance of the understanding of the roles and expertise of other team members was demonstrated. The most successful teams showed all these aspects of a collaborative partnership and were able to strengthen their teams over time. Reduced occurrence of any of these aspects led to a less positive and effective team. |
