Factors influencing partnerships between higher education and healthcare

SummaryObjectiveThe aim of this study was to describe the factors influencing partnerships between higher education and healthcare.BackgroundPartnerships have often been studied as organisations' internal processes or multi-professional team activities. However, there has been less research on the partnership as a phenomenon between organisations and, until now, the research has mainly focused on experiences in the US and the UK.Setting, Participants and MethodsThe study was carried out in Finland. Staff from a university of applied sciences and a service unit for the elderly took part in nine focus group interviews (n = 39) and produced self-evaluations based on diaries (n = 13) and essays (n = 24). The data were analysed by qualitative content analysis.ResultsThe factors influencing partnerships were: a joint development target, agreeing on collaboration, providing resources for partnership, enhancing mutual understanding, sharing operational culture, commitment and participatory change management and communication.ConclusionsThis study updates, and complements, previous reviews on factors influencing partnerships, by providing some new concepts and a new cultural perspective from Finland on a partnership between higher education and healthcare. The results provide information on factors that influence partnerships and develop and manage their sustainability.