Why we need theory to help us better understand the nature of interprofessional education, practice and care

Evaluating an interprofessional education curriculum: A theory-informed approach

“…We are not alone in trying to advance our understanding of IPE through considering the application of theory (Reeves & Hean, 2013). Our results show that theory is a valuable tool in the curriculum design and to synthesise and help explain our evaluation findings.…”

“…However, there is limited understanding on what works well and what to avoid, partly because of the relative lack of discussion between IPE curriculum developers of the theoretical or conceptual frameworks underpinning the rationale, structure and evaluation of curriculum design (Reeves et al 2011;Reeves & Hean, 2013).…”

Reviews of theoretical frameworks: Challenges and judging the quality of theory application

“…Researchers in the field have mined other disciplines for theories that have utility in the field of IPE (e.g., Helme et al, 2005;Thistlethwaite 2012;Barr, 2013;Reeves and Hean, 2013) resulting in an abundance of varied theories drawn from a number of academic disciplines, including sociology, psychology, education and management. But the number and variety of theories presented to the IPE community in recent years has sometimes obscured, rather than clarified, the ways in which theory may contribute to the development of IPE curricula.…”

Faculty Development for Interprofessional Education and Practice

“…Challenge 3: Paying attention to the theoretical rigour and the evidence base for IPE Interprofessional education has been accused of lacking sound theoretical underpinnings (Reeves & Hean 2013). The design and evaluation of IPE curricula are said to be superficial, descriptive and lacking in rigour.…”