Development of an interprofessional education model that aims to instil the core competencies of interprofessional collaborative practice in allied health students curriculum

Abstract

Health Professions Education has not prepared graduates to address the health challenges of the twenty first century, largely due to fragmented, outdated and static curricula. Interprofessional education (IPE) is a leading approach to facilitate student learning for future interprofessional teams in addressing the complex health needs of the community. To achieve this outcome, different core competencies need to be developed, including 1) interprofessional communication; 2) patient/client/family/community-centred care; 3) role clarification; 4) team functioning; 5) collaborative leadership and 6) interprofessional conflict resolution. This study aims to design an interprofessional education model that endeavours to instil the core competencies of interprofessional collaborative practice in allied health students. This study makes use of a mixed methods approach and included a systematic review; a readiness for interprofessional education survey; a Delphi study; curriculum mapping and model design aspects.. The data collection methods used included both quantitative and qualitative methods. The study population for the implementation phase incorporates students from the disciplines of Nursing, Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Natural Medicine and Social Work registered for the 2015/2016 academic year. The methodological framework for this study was Designed Based Research (DBR).