• Ivana Klinar, Lejla Ferhatovic, Adriana Banozic, Marija Raguz, Sandra Kostic, Damir Sapunar, and Livia Puljak.
• Pliva Hrvatska d.o.o., Zagreb, Croatia.
• Scand J Caring Sci. 2013 Jun 1;27(2):303-10.

Aims And ObjectivesInterprofessional collaboration is the process in which different professional groups work together to positively impact health care. We aimed to explore physicians' attitudes toward interprofessional collaboration in the context of chronic pain management with the implication that if attitudes are not positive, appropriate interventions could be developed.DesignA quantitative attitudes study.Ethical IssuesThe ethical committee approved the study.MethodsA web-based survey about interprofessional treatment of chronic pain was administered to physicians. Outcome measures were as follows: physicians' demographic and workplace information, previous experience of working within an interprofessional team, and attitudes towards interprofessional collaboration in chronic pain management.ResultsThere were 90 physicians who responded to the survey. Physicians had positive attitudes towards team work in the context of chronic pain, but they were undecided about sharing their role within an interprofessional team. The family physician was singled out as the most important as well as the most common collaborator in chronic pain treatment. Interprofessional educational seminars and workshops were suggested as methods for improving interprofessional collaboration.ConclusionsInterprofessional collaboration may be enhanced with continuing medical education that will bring together different healthcare professionals, enable them to exchange experiences and learn about their potential roles within a team.© 2012 Nordic College of Caring Science.

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