Interpersonal problems can predict perceived team collaboration among physicians

Abstract

Objective: Studies are required that early in the medical career can identify doctors who later experience problems with working in teams, and we therefore aimed to investigate whether interpersonal problems during medical school could predict perceived team collaboration.

Design: Nationwide and longitudinal cohort study of medical graduates in 1993/1994 (T1), who were followed-up 1 (T2), 10 (T3), and 15 (T4) years later. The predictor effects of IIP on perceived team collaboration was controlled for concurrent work-related factors, and their relative impact by means of linear regression models.

Setting: University of Oslo

Participants: The Young Doctor Cohort (N=505, 56% women) from the Longitudinal Study of Norwegian Medical Students and Doctors (NORDOC). Main outcome measure: Perceived Team Climate and Collaboration (PTC) at T3 and T4.

Results: 206 (53 %) responded at all observational time points. There was a significant increase in PTC from T3 to T4(p<0.001). Adjusted predictors of PTC at both measuring points were low levels of IIP-Socially Avoidant (p<0.01) and low job stress (p<0.01). The IIP became a relatively more important predictor than work-related stress from T3 to T4 (by higher explained variance). The increase in PTC from T3 to T4 was predicted by a reduction in job stress (p<0.01). There was no gender interaction with any of the predictors.

Conclusions: The Inventory of Interpersonal Problems predicted perceived team collaboration at both observational time points, with increasing relative importance over time