Interprofessional Collaboration (IPC) or Interprofessional Collaborative Practice (IPCP) is a type of team-based care that strengthens our health systems and improves health outcomes. By working together across professions, we can tackle complex health conditions more effectively and efficiently.

"Collaborative practice happens when multiple health workers from different professional backgrounds work together with patients, families, carers and communities to deliver the highest quality of care. It allows health workers to engage any individual whose skills can help achieve local health goals." (World Health Organization, 2010)

Interprofessional education (IPE) is a prerequisite for IPCP. New healthcare graduates have likely had exposure to IPE training. In the United States, there are over 20 health program accreditation organizations that require IPE during formal training. IPE prepares learners to practice collaboratively by increasing their knowledge about other professional roles and training and by decreasing negative professional stereotypes.

In the United States, the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) developed a competency framework to guide IPE and IPCP. The framework includes one overarching domain (interprofessional collaboration), four competencies (values and ethics, roles & responsibilities, communication, and teams & teamwork), and 33 related sub-competencies. The IPEC competencies provide a uniform language

In the United States and increasingly throughout the world, the IPEC competencies have emerged as one of the most valuable and widely utilized educational resources to prepare learners for interprofessional teamwork. (IPEC, 2023).

What is Interprofessional Collaboration (IPC)?

To truly grasp the essence of IPCP, it's crucial to understand what it is not. Let's use the action of engaging in huddles or rounds as an opportunity to debunk a few misconceptions:

1. IPCP is not having a morning huddle or conducting discharge rounds. Simply having a team of various health professionals gather to discuss a patient or client does not automatically qualify it as IPCP. Remember the patient or client must be present. In the event the patient cannot be present, a caregiver or patient advocate can represent the patient and their wishes. IPCP inherently includes the patient as the leader of their health team.

Patient-centered or client-centered care is at the heart of IPCP. Typically, patient-centered care is depicted with the patient at the center, surrounded by their health team. However, this image doesn’t fully capture the patient's role as an active team member. Instead, imagine the patient stepping out of the center and joining the team in a circle, becoming a true partner in their care.

2. IPCP is not focused on the same health professional leading a huddle or rounds. We often hear about physician or nurse-led teams. In IPCP, there is only 1 leader of the team and that is the patient or the client. However, in order to provide a consistent structure and increase efficiency, typically, the health professional leading huddle or rounds discussions is a physician or a case manager. However, IPCP promotes shared leadership. Shared leadership is not simply about taking turns, it is about taking individual accountability for the role of a leader and being prepared to facilitate a discussion about the patient's goals, needs and resources. In order to prepare your team for shared leadership, training will be required.

IPCP goes beyond a checklist of tasks. When optimized, IPCP is transformative and can decrease health professional burnout, enhance healthcare delivery and improve patient outcomes. As you continue to learn, engage and promote interprofessional work, please remember to avoid the hyphen.

To continue to learn more about interprofessional education and inteprofessional collaboration, visit me on Linkedin or browse my website collaborateforhealth.com.