Interprofessional Education (IPE) is a collaborative and transformative training approach focused on enhancing patient and community health and improving healthcare delivery outcomes. Many refer to this inclusive model as team-based learning which engages individuals from two or more professions. IPE is essential for all - students, health professionals, and healthcare providers.

"Interprofessional education occurs when students from two or more professions learn about, from and with each other to enable effective collaboration and improve health outcomes." (World Health Organization, 2010)

What is interprofessional education (IPE)?

To truly grasp the essence of IPE, it's crucial to understand what it is not. Let's debunk a few misconceptions:

1. IPE is not Unidirectional or Passive Learning: Simply having learners from various programs in a single course or continuing education session doesn't automatically qualify it as IPE. Education designed for teaching efficiency across multiple professions or programs may fall under the umbrella of multidisciplinary, not IPE. For a genuine IPE experience, the learning process must be interactive and engaging, with students actively sharing knowledge and insights - learning about, from and with.

2. IPE is not One Professional Group Teaching Another Group: One-way teaching, where one professional group imparts knowledge to another, lacks the essential components of IPE. True interprofessional learning involves active participation from all parties, with each group learning about, from and with others. While courses where one profession educates another can contribute to future interprofessional learning, the emphasis should be on shared understanding and collaboration.

Below are a few additional examples that do not reflect IPE:

• A lecture on body mechanics and ergonomics with nursing, occupational therapy, and physical therapy students in attendance.

• A concussion conference inviting Speech-Language Pathologists, Audiologists, Neurosurgeons, and Athletic Trainers with no planned interactions or opportunities for collaboration.

• Annual Research Day including Biomedical Researchers, Public Health Professionals, Physician Associates presenting their work separately.

• Monthly Grand Rounds with a single speaker and each month the speaker represents a different profession.

While informative, these offerings fall short of the true collaborative essence of IPE. Simply stated IPE is not as simple as 1 + 1 = 2. IPE requires more than 1 profession, active engagement, and bidirectional exchange and learning. To optimize learning, IPE experiences should prioritize patient, client or community engagement. Whether the learning activity through a paper based case, a simulated patient or a real human interaction, providing person-centered care should be the focus.

Engaging in IPE supports the development of an interprofessional identity, preparing the learner for interprofessional collaboration.

What is the difference - Interprofessional vs Intraprofessional education?

Interprofessional refers to different health professions, such as dentists, respiratory therapist, physicians, optometrists, and mental health counselors. Intraprofessional refers to disciplines under the same professional umbrella, such as

• Physical therapists and physical therapist assistants

• Dentists and dental hygienists

• Dermatology, family medicine, and neurology physicians

While not formally defined, intraprofessional education would mirror the same criteria as interprofessional education: 2 or more disciplines engaging in active bidirectional learning.

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