Models in interprofessional education: the IP enhancement approach as effective alternative

Area of Science:

• Health Professions Education
• Interprofessional Practice
• Curriculum Development

Background:

• Interprofessional education (IPE) is crucial for collaborative patient-centered practice.
• Implementing IPE in academic prelicensure curricula presents challenges.
• Existing models include extra-curricular and crossbar approaches, each with varying implementation ease, reach, and sustainability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To discuss strategies and challenges in implementing IPE interventions for students across different disciplines.
• To review existing IPE models (extra-curricular, crossbar) within academic prelicensure settings.
• To introduce and evaluate the interprofessional enhancement approach as a curriculum development strategy.

Main Methods:

• The Alberta Interprofessional Education for Collaborative Patient-Centered Practice project utilized the Interprofessional Enhancement Approach.
• IPE content was integrated into existing placement courses for nursing, respiratory therapy, pharmacy, and physiotherapy students.
• Interventions included mentoring, workshops, and online discussions, supplementing discipline-specific clinical placements.

Main Results:

• The Interprofessional Enhancement Approach successfully integrated IPE content into existing placement courses.
• The intervention reached over sixty participants, including students, preceptors, and faculty.
• This approach demonstrated feasibility without complete curriculum restructuring.

Conclusions:

• The interprofessional enhancement approach offers a viable strategy for integrating IPE into prelicensure curricula.
• This model allows for the addition of IPE content without the need for extensive curriculum redesign.
• The study advocates for further discussion on various IPE models in prelicensure education.