Developing an interprofessional education programme for a health science faculty

Abstract

Despite the benefits of IPE, many healthcare professionals in institutions and countries continue to train them in traditional silos while expecting them to practice collaboratively across the health system. Several challenges with developing and implementing IPE programmes could be cited as contributing factors to the continuous training of health professionals in silos. The already demanding health professions curricula, curricula differences, time and scheduling problems; poor coordination and support; resource constraints; attitudes and stereotypes; student characteristics, and lack of teaching personnel are some barriers to developing and implementing IPE programmes. Also, educational (instructors' absence of skill, fixed and single curriculum use, and flaws in the present education), structural (monopolism, hierarchy of control, reduced learning basis, and lack of organisational support), and cultural (attitudes of executives, lecturers and students concerning IPE) add up to the challenges to the development and implementation of IPE. Despite the universality of the challenges to IPE programme development and implementation, institutions in the developing world experience them to a greater extent than developed countries. Especially the lack of context-specific benchmarks and frameworks to guide its development. Not to be left behind, institutions on the continent are attempting to design and implement IPE programmes. This study sought to develop an IPE programme for a health science faculty in South Africa to support IPE efforts on the African continent. This study employed a sequential multi-method research design carried out in five phases. In phase one, a scoping review was conducted to synthesise literature on the nature, development and implementation processes of IPE programmes globally. Phase two involved a qualitative document analysis in analysing the characteristics of IPE programmes globally. In the third phase, a qualitative descriptive exploratory design was used to gather the perspectives of international experts on the development and implementation of IPE programmes, including challenges faced. In the fourth phase of the study, the findings of phases 1-3 were synthesised in addition to the results of a context analysis to design a draft IPE programme for the faculty of health sciences. The final phase included an exploratory qualitative method using nominal group technique to review the draft IPE programme. vii Due to the context of NWU, a three-year optional IPE programme was developed. The programme was designed in three-year levels, and each level in the content included common concepts, the modules that reflected those concepts, the outcomes and assessment criteria of each level, the proposed IPE activities and the resources needed to carry out those activities. The draft programme proposed how to implement the programme, i.e., who implements the programme, the policy and legislation to follow, promotion and administration of the programme, proposed hours required, suggested resources for the activities and reviewing of the programme. Aside from the programme developed, other useful outputs include a synthesised IPE programme development and implementation process and points to consider when planning IPE programmes. It is recommended that institutions learn from the processes involved in this study to develop their programmes or adapt them for their context to increase the presence of IPE on the African continent. The advocacy of regional networks such as AfrIPEN on the continent needs to be intensified to stimulate the development and implementing of more IPE programmes. This will ensure a growing community of practice and sharing of expertise across the African context for the sustenance of the IPE programmes