Interprofessional Collaboration in Emergency Patient Education Roles of Nurses, Laboratory Technicians, Pharmacy Technicians, Patient Care Technicians, Emergency Medical Technicians, Radiology Technicians, Health Information Technicians, and Dental Hygien

Abstract

Background: Emergency patient education depends on effective collaboration among healthcare professionals who contribute complementary knowledge during assessment, treatment, discharge, and follow-up. However, evidence concerning the specific educational roles of different professional groups remains fragmented.

Objective: To systematically review the roles of nurses, laboratory technicians, pharmacy technicians, patient care technicians, emergency medical technicians, radiology technicians, health information technicians, and dental hygienists in emergency patient education and interprofessional collaboration.

Methods: A systematic review was conducted using evidence from studies examining interprofessional collaboration, communication, and patient education in emergency and acute-care settings. Previous systematic reviews identified 21 studies addressing interprofessional collaboration in patient education, 37 studies addressing emergency-department nurse–provider communication, and 14 studies evaluating teamwork and communication in emergency departments.

Results: Across the included evidence, 21 studies identified five major determinants of effective interprofessional patient education: role clarification, communication infrastructure, shared collaborative space, interprofessional trust, and organizational support. In emergency departments, 37 studies showed that high workload, hierarchical barriers, and interruptions hinder communication, whereas structured communication tools, electronic supports, shared workspaces, and interprofessional training facilitate collaboration. A further 14 studies found high staff satisfaction with teamwork-training interventions and moderate evidence that multidisciplinary teams can reduce access block. Pharmacy-technician evidence additionally showed medication-history review and reconciliation as the most frequent activities (11 studies), with discharge education reported in 3 studies and reductions in medication errors reported in 13 studies.

Conclusion: Interprofessional collaboration improves the organization and consistency of emergency patient education by combining profession-specific expertise with structured communication and shared responsibilities. Clear role delineation, standardized educational processes, collaborative documentation, and interprofessional training should be integrated into emergency-care practice.