Multidisciplinary Team Communication

A consistently valued feature of PIC CPGs was their capacity to standardise clinical language across the multidisciplinary team, particularly in regional settings. A shared CPG vocabulary was viewed as breaking down previously siloed disciplines and enabling more uniform and consistent patient care. Patient-facing CPG resources were seen as lending credibility to clinical decisions and reinforcing ongoing management. Medication reviews could identify fall-risk medicines, but changes were not always rapid because of withdrawal risk or clinical disagreement. Physiotherapy availability varied by ward organisation and affected responsiveness to mobilisation or rehabilitation needs. Non-nursing clinicians addressed falls risks in their own assessments but did not systematically integrate them into shared falls prevention discussions. Safety huddles tended to focus on high-risk screened patients and supervision-based interventions. Most interviewees used CPGs or accompanying patient information sheets in conversations with families, particularly when families were reluctant to follow recommendations.