Interprofessional Continuing Education
Revised September 2021
Definitions
Interprofessional Education (IPE)
'[Interprofessional education] is an approach to teaching and learning that brings together two or more professions to learn about, from, and with each other in service of enabling effective collaboration.
The goal of IPE is to improve health outcomes through the education of a practice-ready health care team that is prepared to respond to local health needs.'
‐ The World Health Organization
Interprofessional Collaborative Practice (IPCP)
'Occurs when multiple health workers from different professional backgrounds provide comprehensive services by working with patients, their families, carers and communities to provide the highest quality of care across settings.'
‐ The World Health Organization
Position Statement
Summary
Ausmed Education has been a provider of continuing professional development (CPD) for health professionals for over 30 years. Our core principle is that education is the means to continuously improve the health of the community and contributes to person-centred quality care and service.
The purpose of this position statement is to communicate Ausmed’s values on interprofessional continuing education (IPE).
Background
Interprofessional practice models are effective in improving patient outcomes, increasing patient and provider satisfaction, and decreasing healthcare costs across practice settings.
However, there are still multiple barriers to the acceptance and development of interprofessional collaboration. These include professional silos, imbalance of power and little common interpersonal ground.
Ausmed Education’s position on Interprofessional Continuing Education.
- Providing patient-centered care requires a collaborative effort from health professionals, patients and family, under a shared decision-making framework to meet their health needs.
- Healthcare is most effectively provided by a group of health professionals working collaboratively rather than by individual practitioners alone.
- Interprofessional continuing education in healthcare is a means for improving interprofessional collaborative practice and can positively improve and ensure more effective care experiences for the community.
- Interprofessional collaborative practice and shared decision-making is more than ever essential to the effective function of healthcare and outcomes for the community.
In support of its position, Ausmed Education:
- Provides, where possible, evidence-based and relevant interprofessional continuing education programs.
- Plans, implements and evaluates educational activities by bringing together the expertise and shared knowledge of an interprofessional planning committee.
- Commits to fostering interprofessional collaboration in healthcare through the development of products, education and services that allow individual health professionals to learn from, with and about each other.
References:
Center for Health Sciences Interprofessional Education, Research and Practice (n.d). Defining IPE & IPCP. Retrieved from https://collaborate.uw.edu/about-us/defining-ipe-and-ipcp.
Gum, L, Sweet, L, Grennhill, J, Prideaux, D, 2020. Exploring interprofessional education and collaborative practice in Australian rural health services. Journal of Interprofessional Care. Journal of Interprofessional Care. Vol 34 No 2 pp 173-183.
Lown, B, Kryworuchko, J, Bieber, C, Lillie, D, Kelly, C, Berger, B & Loh, A. 2011, Continuing professional development for interprofessional teams supporting patients in healthcare decision making. Journal of Interprofessional Care, Vol 25 No 6 pp 401-408.
Canadian Interprofessional Health Collaborative 2010, 'A National Interprofessional Competency Framework', quoted in Orchard & Bainbridge 2015, 'What is Competence in Client-Centered Collaborative Practice?',viewed 1 July 2021, https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1304&context=nursingpub
Orchard, CA, Curran, V & Kabene, S 2005, 'Creating a Culture for Interdisciplinary Collaborative Professional Practice', Medical Education Online, vol. 10, no. 11, p. 1, viewed 1 July 2021, https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/0eeb/2043c89008c3945ac5e4683546ba09e28251.pdf
World Health Organisation 2010, Framework for Action on Interprofessional Education & Collaborative Practice , WHO, Geneva, p. 13, viewed 1 July 2021, https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/70185/WHO_HRH_HPN_10.3_eng.pdf;jsessionid=95A88129013EC08B81E728D55CC4A7C0?sequence=
Ausmed Education Pty Ltd 2020
