Approaching undergraduate interprofessional education (IPE) from a holistic program design perspective: an umbrella...

Area of Science:

• Health Professions Education
• Curriculum Design
• Interprofessional Practice

Background:

• Interprofessional education (IPE) is crucial for developing collaborative healthcare professionals.
• Effective curriculum design is essential for successful IPE implementation in undergraduate health and social care programs.
• Existing systematic reviews offer insights into IPE implementation challenges and facilitators.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct an umbrella review of systematic reviews on interprofessional education implementation.
• To identify curriculum design factors that support holistic, program-level planning for IPE.
• To provide recommendations for higher education institutions and curriculum planners.

Main Methods:

• Umbrella review methodology aligned with PRISMA and Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines.
• Systematic search of CINAHL Ultimate, MEDLINE, and ERIC databases using PICo strategy.
• Inclusion of 17 full-text systematic reviews focusing on undergraduate, pre-registration IPE.

Main Results:

• Identified critical curriculum design factors for scaffolding interprofessional competency development.
• Highlighted the importance of holistic, program-level planning for sustainable IPE.
• Synthesized findings from diverse systematic reviews on IPE implementation.

Conclusions:

• Higher education providers need to consider specific design recommendations for effective IPE.
• Holistic program planning is key to integrating interprofessional competency development.
• This review provides evidence-based guidance for implementing sustainable interprofessional education practices.