Collaboration behind-the-scenes: key to effective interprofessional education

Area of Science:

• Health Professions Education
• Interprofessional Collaboration
• Healthcare Systems

Background:

• Interprofessional education (IPE) initiatives involve numerous stakeholders, including students, faculty, and institutions.
• Implementing and sustaining IPE programs presents significant challenges for program designers.
• Limited research exists on how IPE program designers themselves practice interprofessional competencies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the collaborative processes among program designers supporting a large-scale IPE initiative.
• To highlight the importance of program designers' interprofessional practice for successful IPE delivery.
• To propose that program designers should reflect on their collaborative efforts.

Main Methods:

• The report focuses on the Dalhousie Health Mentors Program, a pre-licensure IPE experience.
• It examines the 'backstage' collaboration among individuals and groups supporting the program.
• The description is based on the authors' practical experiences with the program.

Main Results:

• The Dalhousie Health Mentors Program connects student teams with community mentors with chronic conditions.
• This program facilitates learning about interprofessional collaboration and patient-centered care.
• The study underscores the complex, behind-the-scenes collaboration required for such initiatives.

Conclusions:

• Effective interprofessional education requires robust collaboration not only among students but also among program designers.
• Program designers' own interprofessional competencies and collaborative practices directly impact the quality of the educational experience.
• There is a need for program designers to engage in self-reflection regarding their collaborative processes.