The Seamless Communication on a Rural Island in Japan: A Qualitative Study from the Perspective of Healthcare Professionals

Moe Kuroda, Ryuichi Ohta, Kaku Kuroda, Seiji Yamashiro and Keiichiro Kita
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Moe Kuroda: Department of General Medicine, Toyama University Hospital, Toyama 930-0194, Japan
Ryuichi Ohta: Department of Community Care Medicine, Unnan City Hospital, Unnan 699-1221, Japan
Kaku Kuroda: Department of General Medicine, Toyama University Hospital, Toyama 930-0194, Japan
Seiji Yamashiro: Department of General Medicine, Toyama University Hospital, Toyama 930-0194, Japan
Keiichiro Kita: Department of General Medicine, Toyama University Hospital, Toyama 930-0194, Japan

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 18, 1-12

Abstract: On remote islands, interprofessional collaboration is essential to support older adults who live at home, despite the limited number of healthcare professionals (HCPs). Therefore, it is important for HCPs to collect and share information about older adults with health problems. This study aimed to clarify how rural HCPs collaborate using limited resources to support older adults in remote islands. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 10 healthcare providers for older adults on Zamami Island of Okinawa, Japan. We performed a qualitative analysis using the steps for coding and theorization method. Four themes were extracted: “Collection and communication of information between residents”, “Communication of information from non-HCPs to HCPs”, “Sharing of information between HCPs”, and “HCPs taking action to initiate their approach”. Islanders take care of each other and know each other’s health status, while HCPs gather their health information. When necessary, HCPs on the island gain essential information regarding older adult patients from islanders not only through work, but also through personal interactions. Afterward, HCPs approach older adults who need health care. The human connections on this remote island serve as social capital and enable flexibility in both gathering information and seamless communication among islanders who also serve as informal resources that contribute support for older adults.

Keywords: interprofessional collaboration; seamless communication; informal resources; flexibility; rural health (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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