Implementation of the interprofessional patient care needs assessment tool in 12 acute-care inpatient units

The novel Interprofessional Patient Care Needs Assessment Tool (IPPCNAT) was designed to characterize unit level patient care needs from a health disciplines lens. This work describes the implementation of the IPPCNAT at an acute care inpatient hospital in Toronto, Canada. The IPPCNAT was completed by health discipline clinicians from 12 in-scope units. Clinicians were invited to a computer lab during the assessment days to complete the spreadsheet-based tool and findings were compiled into an interactive dashboard. The IPPCNAT was completed by 94 clinicians representing six disciplines, capturing data on 360 unique patients at one time point. The IPPCNAT summarized unit staffing levels, factors complicating patient care delivery, acuity of patient care needs, types of patient care needs on the unit, possible unmet care needs from the health discipline perspective, and why needs were not being met. The data enabled conversation about potential gaps in staffing, mitigation opportunities, and opportunities for budget investment. Implementation of the IPPCNAT is feasible and effective in acute care settings. The tool can provide a description of patient care needs from an interprofessional lens and help identify gaps and opportunities for optimization of staffing models.