Interprofessional education in health and social care: fashion or informed practice?

Abstract

This paper presents a critical review of literature on interprofessional education in the continuum of professional development in health and social care. In particular it explores the range and variety of theoretical frameworks underpinning interprofessional education initiatives across the United Kingdom. In doing so this paper highlights the limited application of educational theory within the broader literature, particularly in the description of the methods employed and in the choices of processes or outcome measures selected. Despite these drawbacks, a focus on the learning and teaching methods used within each interprofessional education programme enabled an explicit categorization of the educational theories being applied (albeit implicitly). The educational theories identified predominantly linked to adult learning theory and reflective practitioner theory. It is, however, acknowledged that such theories alone are not enough to underpin interprofessional education. Theories were therefore also derived from social psychological studies of group behaviour and teamwork approaches; group development and team learning theories focusing on intragroup collaboration; and bio‐psychological theories to inform interprofessional education. The paper concludes that (a) more explicit consideration of theory is required in the development of new interventions; (b) reference to educational theory in evaluation should be encouraged and facilitated; (c) evaluation of different models of interprofessional educational interventions is required if interprofessional education in health and social care is to develop as an informed practice rather than become a transient educational fashion.

Interprofessional Education for Practice: Some Implications for Australian Social Work

“…Critical reviews of the literature on IPE suggest that the educational theories that underpin IPE can be linked to adult learning theory, reflective practitioner theory, social psychology theory, group work theory, and biopsychosocial theories (Craddock, O'Halloran, Borthwick, & McPherson, 2006). Craddock et al (2006) agreed with Barr, Koppel, Reeves, Hammick, and Freeth (2005) that the theoretical underpinnings of IPE continue to evolve. However, they went on to state that ''greater conceptual clarity, empirical evidence and integrative theoretical development are clearly required before a unifying paradigm can be expected to emerge '' (2006, p. 237).…”

“…Social work is also well placed to participate in interprofessional education as a result of the compatibility of the identified theoretical underpinnings of interprofessional education identified by Craddock et al (2006) with the knowledge base of social work. Examples include small group theory (Bundey, 1980;O'Hara, 2005;Reid, 1997;Schiller, 1997) and reflective practitioner theory (Brookfield, 1995;Fook, 2002;Fook & Gardner, 2007;Schon, 1987) to which social work has made a significant contribution.…”

“…Social work students at universities in the United Kingdom, Europe, Canada, and Australia have participated in a range of interprofessional activities that have included their participation in shared learning experiences with students from other disciplines on university campuses, in health and social care agencies (Cleak & Williamson, 2007;Craddock et al, 2006;Smith & Anderson, 2007), and in research projects that have evaluated the effectiveness of interprofessional education (Nisbet, Hendry, Rolls, & Field, 2008;Pollard & Miers, 2008;Pollard, Miers, Gilchrist, & Sayers, 2006). In a UK study of student perceptions of themselves as pre-qualifying practitioners, Hean, Macleod-Clark, Adams, Humphris, and Lathlean (2006) compared 10 health profession disciplines and found that groups of medical students and social work students were seen by others as they saw themselves, which ''implies that these professions will suffer least from a threat to their group distinctiveness'' (p. 10).…”

Learning theories and interprofessional education: a user’s guide

“…The use of a Realistic method of evaluation (Pawson & Tilley 1997) Although the above cognitive constructivist theories are not commonly utilized in the IPE literature, the search strategy showed adult learning theories, in contrast, to be widely utilized in the field (Fig. 2B-1) (Craddock et al 2006). Adult learning theory in this context appears as a collection of pedagogical approaches and is described variously as e.g.…”

“…2 explicit applications of these in IPE literature in either curriculum design or programme evaluation. Readers are directed to Craddock et al (2006) for a more comprehensive review.…”