Taking stock of interprofessional learning in Australia

Abstract

Changes in health service delivery and issues of quality of care and safety are driving interprofessional practice, and interprofessional learning (IPL) is now a requirement for medical school accreditation. There is international agreement that learning outcomes frameworks are required for the objectives of IPL to be fully realised, but there is debate about the most appropriate terminology. Interprofessional skills can be gained in several ways - from formal educational frameworks, at pre- and post-registration levels to work-based training. Research activity suggests that many consider that IPL delivers much-needed skills to health professionals, but some systematic reviews show that evidence of a link to patient outcomes is lacking. Australian efforts to develop an evidence base to support IPL have progressed, with new research drawing on recommendations of experts in the area. The focus has now shifted to curriculum development. The extent to which IPL is rolled out in Australian universities will depend on engagement and endorsement from curriculum managers and the broader faculty.

The patient is the teacher: ambulatory patient‐centred student‐based interprofessional education where the patient is the teacher who improves patient care outcomes

“…They are more skilled in conducting conversations across discourses, more attuned to the needs of their patients and have a greater appreciation of the complexities of ethical discourse. The realisation of such patient‐centred outcomes presents challenges to curriculum planners and educators, but there is now sufficient evidence to show that these goals are achievable …”

Evaluating Team-based Inter-professional Advanced Life Support Training in Intensive Care—a Prospective Observational Study

“…The World Health Organization has been vocal recently in its belief that "inter-professional education enables effective collaborative practice which in turn optimises health services, strengthens health systems and improves health outcomes" 27 . To date, research into inter-professional learning has failed to consistently focus on strong clinical outcomes 19,26 . For this reason, it has caused divided opinion 26 .…”

Developing interprofessional education: putting theory into practice

“…In recent years, there has been increasing momentum for IPE that incorporates shared interprofessional learning outcomes for health care students . The impetus has been driven by coherent theoretical, policy, demographic and empirical arguments for IPE.…”