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Background Interprofessional work and collaboration (IPW) are considered essential to address increasing healthcare demands driven by workforce shortages and the growing prevalence of multimorbidity. However, IPW has not been fully implemented in clinical practice in Japan, and no systematic review has comprehensively synthesized the barriers and facilitators to its implementation. This study aimed to identify barriers and facilitators to IPW in Japanese clinical settings using an implementation science framework. Methods We conducted a systematic review of Japanese-language qualitative studies published since 2004 that explored barriers and facilitators to IPW. Searches were performed in Ichushi-Web, CiNii Articles, and J-STAGE. Two reviewers independently screened titles/abstracts and full texts. All narratives and codes related to barriers and facilitators of IPW were extracted from the included studies and mapped to the 14 domains of the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF). Results Of 5,051 records identified, 34 qualitative studies were included. A total of 736 narratives and codes were mapped to TDF domains. Frequent barriers were identified in the domains of Environmental context and resources (e.g., time constraints, workforce shortages, limited communication tools), Social influences (e.g., hesitation to contact others, avoidance of conflict), and Social/professional role and identity (e.g., professional hierarchies and unclear roles). Facilitators often addressed these issues. In the Social influences domain, facilitators were more frequently identified than barriers, with consideration for others, respect for collaboration, and efforts to maintain harmony commonly reported. Fewer narratives were mapped to domains related to internal personal factors (e.g., knowledge, behavioural regulation, emotions). Conclusions This study indicates that IPW in Japan is strongly influenced by structural constraints, professional hierarchies, and a collectivist culture emphasizing harmony and conflict avoidance. Future interventions should incorporate behavior change techniques targeting these barriers and be evaluated for their effectiveness using implementation science approaches.
Kawachi et al. (Wed,) studied this question.