Background: 72 hour extended medical treatment responsibility is a political initiative implemented in the Region of North Jutland in early 2023. The initiative aims to improve the patient transitions through a clearly defined treatment responsibility. The scientific literature describes challenges on the cross-sector collaborations including communication, lacking discharging documents and -plans. These challenges can cause unnecessary readmissions. The challenges have been tried to be solved through different interventions, where no advantageous intervention has been found.

Aim: The aim of this project was to investigate the healthcare workers experience of the early implementation phase of 72 hour extended medical treatment responsibility in the Region of North Jutland in primary- and secondary sector and investigate if the initiative can improve the cross-sector collaborations and reduce the challenges with cross sector transitions.

Methods: A mixed methods study consisting of quantitative data collection through NoMAD-questionnaire and qualitative data collection through semi-structured interviews were used to investigate the healthcare workers experience of the early implementation phase. The data analysis consisted of a quantitative descriptive analysis and a qualitative opinion analysis. The NPT’s four key components “Coherence”, “Cognitive participation”, “Collective action” and “Reflexive monitoring” were used as framework through the method of the project.

Results: The project included 52 NoMAD-questionnaire responses and 9 interview informants allocated to doctors, nurses and social and health assistants. The descriptive analysis showed a discrepancy between the doctors compared to the nurses and social and health assistants in all four key components. Furthermore the descriptive analysis showed a cross sectoral discrepancy in all four key components. The exploratory analysis showed that the doctors responded significantly differently to the NoMAD-questionnaire compared to the remaining two professions. In “Coherence”, “Cognitive participation”, “Collective action” the results showed a significant difference between the two healthcare sectors and between the cross sectoral nursing staff. In “Reflexive monitoring” the results showed a significant difference between the two healthcare sectors. The qualitative data showed cross sectoral consensus for the key components “Coherence”, “Cognitive participation” and “Collective action”. In “Reflexive monitoring” the results showed a potential cross sectoral discrepancy.

Conclusion: The quantitative and qualitative analysis indicated ambiguous results, which made it difficult to conduct an overall unambiguous evaluation of the early implementation phase of 72 hour extended medical treatment responsibility in the Region of North Jutland. The healthcare workers experienced potential of the initiative to improve the cross sectoral collaborations and reduce challenges with the cross sectoral transitions.