Edinburgh Napier University

  Background
Internationally, clinicians face increased demand, pressure on resources and unmet patient needs. A community social support service was co-located within cancer clinics in Scotland to help meet some of these needs.
Aim
Aims were to analyse the impact of the service on clinical staff and to propose an explanatory theory of change.
Method
Qualitative exploratory design, using thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with eight nurse specialists and two medical oncologists from lung, breast, head and neck and gastro-intestinal oncology teams in Scotland, UK, in 2018/19.
Findings
Four themes captured the process: ‘The Conversation’, ‘a better experience’, ‘freedom to focus’ and ‘working hand in hand’.
Conclusion
These four themes together explained the process of effective inter-professional working. This process would have been predicted by the J-Curve literature on diffusion of innovations. Linking J-Curve theory to this successful process provides new understanding that could prove essential for clinical teams who are implementing change within their practice.