Identifying key areas for active interprofessional learning partnerships: A facilitated dialogue

Area of Science:

• Health Professions Education
• Interprofessional Learning
• Public and Patient Involvement

Background:

• Student and service user involvement is vital for effective interprofessional education (IPE).
• Previous research highlights the need for collaborative approaches in health professional training.
• Integrating diverse perspectives is essential for improving healthcare education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore learning partnerships between health professional students, early career professionals (ECPs), and public partners.
• To identify areas for joint working to enhance health professional education through collaboration.
• To assess the effectiveness of a team-based learning approach in fostering consensus.

Main Methods:

• A qualitative study employing a team-based learning format with 153 participants (50 public partners, 103 students/professionals).
• Participants engaged in mixed-group discussions to identify collaborative areas in health professional education.
• Inductive content analysis of transcribed free-text responses to identify key themes.

Main Results:

• Seven key themes for joint working were identified: communication, public as partners, standards of conduct, IPE, quality improvement, education, and learning environments.
• The team-based learning approach facilitated consensus between health professionals and public partners on IPE and collaboration.
• Participants reached agreement on actionable next steps for improving health professional education.

Conclusions:

• Team-based learning is an effective method for achieving consensus between healthcare professionals and public partners on interprofessional education.
• Collaborative efforts involving public partners can significantly enhance health professional education and training.
• The identified themes provide a framework for future interprofessional education initiatives and quality improvement in healthcare settings.