Interprofessional educators' competencies, assessment, and training - IPEcat: protocol of a global consensus study

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Education
• Interprofessional Practice
• Medical Training

Background:

• Current interprofessional education (IPE) focuses on learner competencies for interprofessional collaboration (IPC), neglecting educator competencies.
• The field lacks consistent terminology, standards, and global consensus on core competencies for IPE facilitation.
• There are no universally accepted tools for assessing IPE educator competencies or established global training programs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To address the gap in understanding and supporting interprofessional education (IPE) educators.
• To develop globally derived, empirically validated tools and training for IPE educator competencies.
• To establish a foundation for a collective global approach to IPE educator development.

Main Methods:

• A sequential mixed-method research approach will be employed.
• The project involves global collaboration to gather data and develop assessment tools.
• The research protocol is presented for peer review and implementation.

Main Results:

• This article presents the research protocol, not the results.
• The study aims to deliver globally developed, empirically derived tools.
• The expected outcome is the fostering of IPE educator competencies.

Conclusions:

• A significant gap exists in the support and development of interprofessional education (IPE) educators.
• The International Working Group for Interprofessional Educators Competencies, Assessment, and Training (IWG_IPEcat) protocol offers a structured approach to address this gap.
• This research is crucial for advancing the quality and consistency of interprofessional education globally.