Assessing interprofessional competence using a prospective reflective portfolio.

Area of Science:

• Health Professions Education
• Interprofessional Collaboration
• Assessment Methods

Background:

• Ensuring future healthcare practitioners possess interprofessional competence is crucial for effective teamwork and improved patient outcomes.
• Interprofessional education (IPE) curricula require a defined theoretical stance for both learning and assessment.
• Assessing interprofessional competence is essential for collaborative practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the use of an interprofessional education (IPE) portfolio as a flexible assessment framework.
• To understand student perceptions of the IPE portfolio assessment process.
• To examine the role of reflection in consolidating interprofessional understanding.

Main Methods:

• A qualitative approach was employed to study the IPE portfolio.
• Analysis of completed IPE portfolios from students in medicine, social work, and speech and language therapy.
• Interviews with a subset of students to gather perceptions on the assessment process.

Main Results:

• The IPE portfolio facilitated the demonstration of interprofessional learning.
• Student reflection on experiences within the portfolio led to new understandings for collaborative practice.
• Emotional and cognitive learning triggers were identified as key to developing collaborative insights.

Conclusions:

• The IPE portfolio serves as a valuable tool for assessing interprofessional competence.
• Reflection is a critical component in consolidating interprofessional understanding and fostering collaborative practice.
• The portfolio, now summative and including other assessment components, supports the development of future collaborative practitioners.