Forming inter-institutional partnerships to offer pre-registration IPE: a focus group study

Area of Science:

• Health Professions Education
• Interprofessional Collaboration
• Educational Partnerships

Background:

• Interprofessional education (IPE) is typically delivered within single institutions.
• Small, regional, or specialized institutions may require inter-institutional partnerships for IPE.
• Limited student numbers or program offerings necessitate external collaborations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore teacher perspectives on forming inter-institutional partnerships for IPE.
• To identify key elements influencing the successful formation of these partnerships.
• To develop a model for inter-institutional IPE collaboration.

Main Methods:

• An interpretive descriptive approach was employed.
• Data were collected from three focus groups with 21 teachers.
• Teachers involved in three different inter-institutional IPE partnerships in Wellington, New Zealand, participated.

Main Results:

• Two main themes emerged, leading to a partnership model.
• Partnership complexity varied based on institutional alignment and program creation (new vs. existing).
• Key success factors include time investment, effort, managing complexity, and maintaining institutional alignment ('staying on the same page').

Conclusions:

• Inter-institutional partnerships offer a pragmatic solution for delivering IPE.
• These collaborations provide benefits for all participating institutions and students.
• Careful planning considering time, effort, complexity, and alignment is crucial for successful inter-institutional IPE partnerships.