One of the key benefits of an interprofessional education and collaborative practice approach is that these strategies are key in promoting change in the way that healthcare professionals interact. Both strategies target the people and culture within organisations to ensure that there are no barriers to implementing collaborative practice within institutions. By shifting the way that different healthcare professionals think about and interact with one another, the culture and attitudes and in place we can improve the working experience of staff and ultimately realise benefits in patient care.
Implementing interprofessional education and collaborative practice requires a review and assessment of the mechanisms that shape these approaches. The World Health Organisation (WHO) outlines a Framework for “Action on Interprofessional Education & Collaborative Practice (2010)” Framework for Action on Interprofessional Education & Collaborative Practice (who.int) which identifies a number of key mechanisms which overall and interplay with each other (Figure below). As these strategies are introduced and expanded, interprofessional education and collaborative practice will become more embedded, strengthening health systems and improving health outcomes.
If you are considering implementing an interprofessional approach in your teaching, some useful examples of interprofessional education Case Studies funded by the Faculty of Life & Health Science are available at https://blogs.ulster.ac.uk/interprofessional/category/case-study/