Interprofessional education: a concept analysis

Abstract

Interprofessional education is broadly defined as a teaching and learning process that fosters collaborative work between two or more health care professions. Interprofessional education, as a proven, beneficial approach to collaborative learning that addresses the problems of fragmentation in health care delivery and separation among health care professionals, is frequently promulgated but not always successfully implemented. Furthermore, there are several different interpretations, overlapping terminologies, interchangeable terms, and a lack of uniformity of a definition for interprofessional education. This concept analysis determines the attributes and characteristics of interprofessional education, develops an operational definition that fits all health-related disciplines, defines common goals, and improves overall clarity, consensus, consistency, and understanding of interprofessional education among educators, professionals, and researchers. Through effective incorporation of interprofessional education into curricular and practice settings, optimal patient-centered outcomes can potentially result as effective and highly integrated teams facilitate and optimize collaborative patient care and safety.

Using Concept Maps to Create Meaningful Learning in Medical Education

“…Developing strategies for interprofessional learning can be based on the theoretical and practical aspects of learning in groups. According to Olenick, Allen, and Smego (2010), "interprofessional education is broadly defined as a teaching and learning process that fosters collaborative work between two or more health care professions" (p. 75). As such interprofessional learning and education focuses on team based work designed to facilitate patient care with the concepts of quality and safety in mind.…”

Interprofessional Simulation: A Concept Analysis

“…Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary does not list a definition for multidisciplinary. However, Olenick, Allen, and Smego (2010) indicate that the term multidisciplinary implies no sharing or interaction between specialized branches as contrasted to the word interprofessional, which does involve shared decision making (Olenick et al, 2010).…”

“…Two journals include the word interprofessional within their titles (Olenick et al, 2010). The Journal of Research in Interprofessional Education was established in 2009 and adopted the Centre for the Advancement of Interprofessional Education definition for interprofessional education.…”

“…IS can foster cohesiveness and common goal setting and meet the challenge of improving team performance to enhance patient safety. while at the same time engendering shared trust (Journal of Interprofessional Care, 2013, Olenick et al, 2010).…”

“…Shared learning denotes an increase in learner knowledge and collaboration (Olenick et al, 2010). In addition, teamwork and cohesiveness are necessary elements in preparing nurses, physicians, and other health care professionals to perform appropriately when a real crisis occurs (Strouse, 2010).…”