The interprofessional patient care needs assessment tool (IPPCNAT): Conception and development

Increasing demands placed on the current healthcare system has resulted in evolving interprofessional models of care. An evidence-informed approach to staffing needs should be used to identify the appropriate skill mix necessary for healthcare settings. Though patient care needs assessment tools exist, few particularly focus solely on health disciplines in a real-time, systematic manner that can be applied at the unit level. The Interprofessional Patient Care Needs Assessment Tool (IPPCNAT) was designed to characterize unit level needs of patients from a collective health discipline lens. Conceptualization, development, and refinement of the IPCCNAT occurred over three phases. The final version of the IPCCNAT is comprised of six broad domains of practice, each with 3–10 specific patient care needs. Data gathered from implementing this tool provides insight for managers and administrators on patient care needs, at the unit level. This insight facilitates the optimization of overlapping scopes and existing resources. provide a means for healthcare managers and administrators to be continuously responsive to patient care needs. The tool development process can provide a guideline for other organizations in their efforts to optimize a professional model of care within a healthcare context, rather than determining the appropriate staffing mix output based on the skill level of each profession.