"Interprofessional education/training" describes those occasions
when two or more professions learn with, from and about each other
to improve collaboration and the quality of care. (Freeth, D et
al (2005) Effective Interprofessional Practice: Development,
Delivery and Evaluation.Oxford: Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Background to Interprofessional Education (IPE)
Interprofessional working and learning is one of the key new drivers
of modern healthcare and is considered by all the professional bodies
as being essential to promoting more effective patient/client care.
There also is no doubt that some of the motivation for change arose
from nationally reported tragedies such Bristol (Kennedy, I., 2002.
Bristol Royal Infirmary Inquiry. London. Stationary Office: Bristol
Inquiry) and Climbié (Lord Laming, 2003. The Victoria
Climbié Inquiry. London: The
Victoria Climbié Inquiry.). However, teams and teamworking
have been an integral part of healthcare activities since healthcare
became professionalized. The current considerations toward improving
our understandings of, and promotion toward, effective teams and
teamworking is merely a reflection of the drive toward making explicit
our ‘good practices’, that we might utilise them to
their full benefit, and, conversely, understanding ‘poor performance’,
how it arises and how to remove it wherever it appears.
What is IPE for?
Hugh Barr, a prominent commentator in the interprofessional education
field, noted that ‘interprofessional education was conceived
as a way of overcoming ignorance and prejudice amongst healthcare
and social care professions. By learning together the professions
would work more effectively together and thereby improve the quality
of care for patients. They would understand each other better, valuing
what each brought to collaborative practice whilst setting aside
negative stereotypes’ (Link
- Page 10)
Interprofessional education has now become embedded in professional
healthcare: For example, the Department of Health (DoH) asks for
training to be ‘genuinely multi-professional’ to promote:
teamwork; partnership and collaboration between professionals, agencies
and patients; skill mix and flexible working; opportunities to switch
training pathways [and to create] new types of workers’. (Link
- Page 7) Also, the General Medical Council (GMC), in its document
Tomorrow’s Doctors, requires all undergraduate curricular
to prepare students for teamworking (Link).
What do we want to achieve?
The aim of interprofessional education within City and Queen Mary,
at undergraduate/pre-registration level, is to produce naissant
practitioners who understand the roles and responsibilities of other
members of multidisciplinary teams and are able to work collaboratively
and effectively as a member of such teams.
Learning Outcomes: