Epistemic work and emotion in interprofessional practice: Lessons for interprofessional education

Use of theory to conceptualise interprofessional practice and inform interprofessional education is growing. This paper draws on two emerging theories in education and the sociology of emotions - epistemic cognition and emotional climates - to analyse an important interprofessional setting: weekly case conferences in one radiation oncology department. Drawing on detailed transcription of video data, ethnographic fieldnotes, and reflexive interviews with four participant/co-analysts, we analysed the knowledge aims, ideals, and processes for evaluating knowledge claims across 9 case conferences (3 meetings x 3 groups), as well as their associated emotional climates. Findings indicate that recency, and relational or disciplinary expertise are key values against which knowledge claims are judged. Epistemic styles and emotional climates vary; when meeting leaders encourage others to ask questions and promote a relaxed emotional climate, this may invite more diversified epistemic contributions. More broadly, our study brings together epistemic cognition and emotional climate as situated phenomena, providing empirical, conceptual and potential pedagogical advances.