Interdisciplinary collaboration: working in teams for patient care
Summary: In New Zealand, doctors work in collaborative interdisciplinary teams, particularly in the management of patients with long-term and complex conditions, and have an important role in supporting the further development of collaborative models of care. There are models of shared care between disciplines, across health sectors, including a range of health and professional groups as well as partnering with patients, family and whānau. Within teams, role clarification is necessary together with the building of professional trust in other disciplines’ specialist skills.
Views of Medicine Students, Pharmacy Interns and Facilitators in an Interprofessional Pilot
This research explored learners’ and facilitators’ views of an interprofessional education medicines pilot study involving medical students and pharmacy interns. Qualitative feedback was gathered from the participating learners and a facilitator focus group was undertaken. Medical student and pharmacy intern learners found the medicines topic and discipline grouping facilitated their learning. Some topics and groups of disciplines are ideally matched for IPE and such a nexus should be capitalised upon.
Forming inter-institutional partnerships to offer pre-registration IPE
IPE programs for pre-registration health science students are largely offered within one institution. Sometimes, e.g. in small or regional institutions, or where larger institutions do not offer particular professional programs, it may be necessary to partner with other institutions to offer IPE. This study explored teacher perspectives of forming inter-institutional partnerships IPE. An interpretive descriptive approach was used to thematically analyse data from three focus groups.
Strategies for First-Time Interprofessional Teachers and Those Developing New IPE Programs
Six strategies are designed to overcome commonly recognised problems and enable first-time teachers to more confidently develop or engage in IPE, thus supporting students to attain skills in interprofessional collaboration. These include: join an existing IPE team; observe and collaborate with experienced IPE teachers; contribute to the development of new IPE programs; seek institutional support; undertake IPE evaluation and research; and gain high-level institutional endorsement.
Living in the Nexus: Lessons Learned from the National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education
In October 2012, the United States Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) selected the University of Minnesota to create the National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education (National Center) to “advance a national healthcare workforce trained to work in patient-centered, team-based settings” (Chen et al., 20131; HRSA, 20122 ).
Upcoming Symposium: "Interoperability and Clinical Information Sharing to Improve Health Care Outcomes"
Register for the third annual Florida Combined Life–Florida Blue Foundation Medical-Dental Integration Symposium: "Interoperability and Clinical Information Sharing to Improve Health Care Outcomes" on Wednesday September 13 from 2:00pm-6:00pm ET. This Symposium allows dentists and hygienists to convene virtually through the American Academy of Dental Hygiene to discuss how MDI elevates the level of care provided to patients and improves systemic health.
An interprofessional community education project as a socially accountable assessment
As part of a clinical -based rotational undergraduate interprofessional programme, an assessment was devised which was construed as being socially accountable. An interprofessional programme, with cohorts of students from six different health professions, was evaluated in a number of ways. Students completed pre and post questionnaires about many aspects of the programme and also participated in focus groups. The social accountability of the key assignment emerged as important for both students and the community agencies that provided the clinical experience for students.
Student perceptions of cultural immersion during an interprofessional programme
Separate and sequential interprofessional groups of students from seven health professions participated in focus groups after an innovative and immersive interprofessional programme in rural New Zealand. All participating students had prior exposure during their respective degrees to theoretical perspectives of indigenous health. Analysis revealed that for these groups of students the real-life exposure to an indigenous community was positively regarded and, in some instances, transformative.
Transition: health professionals as medical students
Describes the results of a qualitative study to understand more about how health professionals adapt to their role as medical students. The most common driver to retrain was a desire to seek a fresh challenge; however, returning to student status after life as an autonomous health professional was initially very uncomfortable.
Influences on Dental Students’ Participation in Interprofessional Education Programs
Describes the results of a study to explore how dental students involved in an experiential IPE programme in New Zealand made sense of engaging in this unfamiliar learning environment. Identified challenges suggested that dental students may need extra preparation prior to participating in IPE programs.