Core Interprofessional Education (IPE) health competencies: The process of adaptation and implementation for a local environment

Abstract

IPE: Interprofessional Healthcare Education (IPE) competencies provide the criteria against which to measure the capacity and capability of fully collaborative healthcare teams to learn and work together. Significant work already exists in the determination of IPE competencies across all disciplines. Although there is still a lack of agreement on a single set of shared core competencies, successive competency iterations enhance its development. IPE competencies need to take into account local and cultural contexts as recommended by WHO, (2010). Here we present a collaborative process that builds on existing competency development, assessing additional academic IPE needs. Core competencies: After the development of a set of shared core IPE competencies a two-day workshop was delivered to healthcare students from four professions. The results and feedback from students showed the value of the competencies. We discuss the evolving process through two major stages: (1) development of a model determining four shared core IPE domains, (2) the development and delivery of a set of IPE workshops explicitly and intentionally based on the model. This process is an example for the future development of IPE and IPP in any local setting. Results: Testing the developed IPE in specific workshops revealed that most clinical scenarios were on a similar standard but also showed a deficit in collaborative patient centered care, an aspect suggestive of deficient interprofessional contact and prioritization.