A Critical Review Of Interprofessional Communication In Patient Care: Strengthening Teamwork Among Nurses, Nursing Assistants, And Medical Secretaries In Saudi Arabian Hospitals

Abstract

In Saudi hospitals, interprofessional communication is relevant in providing safe and effective care to patients. As a critical review, the analyzed literature was published within the span of 2020 to 2025 and was aimed at analyzing the dynamics of communication, communication barriers, and communication intervention between nurses, nursing assistants, and medical secretaries. The review is based on 32 empirical studies and demonstrates that interprofessional communication is always effective and linked to better clinical and patient-related outcomes. The literature indicates that when teamwork and information sharing are high, medication errors are reduced by between 25 and 40 percent and patient satisfaction by between 46 and 78 percent. These advantages notwithstanding, cooperation is skewed. In 65 to 85 percent of studies, hierarchies were determined as a significant impediment, in addition to time constraints, work pressures, and cultural obstacles to shared decision-making. There are only moderate perceptions of teamwork reflected in quantitative measures whose reported scores are 3.5 to 6.2 out of 10. Interprofessional education (IPE) became one of the central facilitators, and structured interprofessional programs led to a 15-30 percent attitude change towards working in a team. Other key gaps identified during the review include: an overrepresentation of urban hospital setting and insufficient data in rural areas. All in all, the results indicate that IPE, digital communication tools, and supportive policy changes are necessitated. The enhancement of interprofessional collaboration goes hand in hand with the Saudi Vision 2030 and its focus on high-quality, patient-centered care..