Developing an interprofessional capability framework for teaching healthcare students in a primary healthcare setting

Area of Science:

• Health Professions Education
• Interprofessional Practice (IPP)
• Primary Health Care

Background:

• The need to prepare students and graduates for effective interprofessional practice (IPP) is critical in healthcare.
• Existing educational approaches may not adequately foster the collaborative skills required for modern healthcare delivery.
• A gap exists in structured frameworks guiding interprofessional learning within primary care settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a consensus-based interprofessional capability framework through a university-primary health service partnership.
• To understand perceptions of interprofessional practice among stakeholders in both academic and clinical settings.
• To generate strategies for implementing interprofessional learning experiences in primary care.

Main Methods:

• Action research methodology employed to study the partnership's development and progress.
• Collaborative development process involving primary health service providers and university educators.
• Extensive stakeholder consultation to ensure shared understanding and applicability of the framework.

Main Results:

• A finalized interprofessional capability framework was developed, incorporating shared views and understandings.
• Strategies for preparing effective interprofessional learning experiences in both university and primary care settings were generated.
• The collaborative process fostered agreement and consensus on essential interprofessional capabilities.

Conclusions:

• Developing an interprofessional capability framework through collaboration is an effective strategy for achieving consensus.
• The framework provides a guide for curriculum development in both university and health service settings.
• This approach supports the integration of interprofessional capabilities into student learning and professional practice.