Lessons from Interprofessional Collaboration in the Seroa Krao Field Hospital: Pathways to Future Public Health Crisis Management

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in an increasing number of patients in all primary hospitals. Therefore, establishing field hospitals became a crucial strategy for accommodating the surge of patients, with success depending on the collaborative work of interprofessional teams and relevant agencies. This qualitative study was part of an evaluation research project on the preparation and establishment of the Seroa Krao Field Hospital in Buriram Province, Thailand. The objective was to study the experiences related to interprofessional collaboration among healthcare professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with 12 healthcare professionals, including seven physicians, four nurses, and one public health officials, using semi-structured interview guides. Data were analyzed using content analysis. The findings revealed six key themes: 1) leadership and crisis management, particularly visionary leadership with a clear command system; 2) integration of collaboration between multidisciplinary teams and organizations with clear role distribution and effective coordination; 3) resource and environmental management under constraints through mobilization from various sectors; 4) development of patient care service systems with screening and classification according to severity; 5) infection prevention and control through system development and staff education; and 6) personnel care and competency development through mental health support and morale building. This research findings lead to important practical guidelines which gave rise to the development of a manual for establishing and managing field hospitals with a clear structure and the development of an emergency training system for interprofessional teams in infection prevention and patient classification according to severity.