Affiliations: School of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Health
Science, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada | Workright Inc., London, ON, Canada | Graduate Program Health and Rehabilitation Sciences,
Faculty of Health Science, University of Western Ontario, London, ON,
Canada
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Lynn Shaw, School of Occupational
Therapy, Elborn College, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.
N6G 1H1. Tel.: +1 519 661 2111 x88971; Fax: +1 519 661 3894; E-mail:
leshaw@uwo.ca
Abstract: Teamwork, collaboration and interprofessional care are becoming the
new standard in health care, and service delivery in work practice is no
exception. Most rehabilitation professionals believe that they intuitively know
how to work collaboratively with others such as workers, employers, insurers
and other professionals. However, little information is available that can
assist rehabilitation professionals in enacting authentic transdisciplinary
approaches in work practice contexts. A qualitative study was designed using a
grounded theory approach, comprised of observations and interviews, to
understand the social processes among team members in enacting a
transdisciplinary approach in a work rehabilitation clinic. Findings suggest
that team members consciously attended to a team approach through nurturing
consensus, nurturing professional synergy, and nurturing a learning culture.
These processes enabled this team to work in concert with clients who had
chronic disabilities in achieving solution focused goals for returning to work
and improving functioning. Implications for achieving greater collaborative
synergies among stakeholders in return to work settings and in the training of
new rehabilitation professionals are explored.
Keywords: Transdisciplinary team work, work rehabilitation, collaboration
