How to think about interprofessional competence: a metacognitive model

Different professions meet and work together in teams every day in health and social care. To identify and deliver the best quality of care for the patient, teamwork should be both professionally and interprofessionally competent. How can enhanced education prepare teamworkers to be both professionally and interprofessionally competent? To achieve interprofessional skills and design effective interprofessional curricula, there is a need for metacognitive frameworks focusing on the relationship between theories and the problem-solving process as well as the structure and content of professional competence. The aim of this article is to discuss the need for shared metacognitive structures/models as a tool for securing successful interprofessional learning and developing personal, professional and interprofessional competence to improve the quality of care. A metacognitive model for interprofessional education and practice is presented in this article. This model has been developed as a tool for analyzing professional competence on three levels: individual, team and organization. The model comprises seven basic components of professional competence and the way they are related and interact. Examples of how this metacognitive model can be used in the early, middle and late stages in interprofessional education are given.