126 5.2.5 Consultation and  Collaboration

Consultation

A consultation is an assessment from a referring health care professional to give advice in this field because of the complexity, seriousness, or obscurity of the case, or because another opinion is requested by the patient/patient’s representative.

Consultation for:

• Treatment recommendations
• Organizational issues
• Quality-improvement and risk-management strategies

The NP in LTC may consult:

• Partner clinicians
• Multidisciplinary team
• Leadership
• Specialists
• Stakeholders
• Know your jurisdictional and college requirements related to consultation

 Collaboration

• Communication with clients, healthcare team, stakeholders
• Cross sectoral
• Includes transfer of accountability or care transitions with the clinical team when providing care to the residents
• Includes formal agreements with external health service providers
• Builds partnerships

Collaboration: Care Transitions/ Transfer of Accountability/Handover

• Process of communicating client-specific information from one caregiver to another, or from one team of caregivers to another, to ensure continuity of care and client safety
• Handovers:
  • Promote continuity of care
  • Provide a retrospective and prospective view of the patient’s situation
  • Allow for sharing a plan of action
  • Delineate clear responsibilities for pending task
  • Include opportunities to seek clarification and ask questions