International Journal of Healthcare Simulation

Background:

Interprofessional Education (IPE) has been defined and practised over decades. The World Health Organisation has stated that IPE ‘occurs when two or more professionals learn about, from, and with each other to enable effective collaboration and improve health outcomes’ [1]. There is a recognised improvement in learner’s practice in several aspects namely leadership, teamworking, communication, and negotiation skills along with trust, self-esteem, and shared decision-making [2]. A Cochrane review concluded that IPE improved working culture, patient satisfaction, decreased errors, improved patient management and the knowledge and skill of professionals [3]. It is, therefore, desirable that IPE should be incorporated wherever possible in simulation-based education. We endeavour to facilitate and encourage this practice across health and care professionals in Wales.

Activity:

For Interprofessional simulation-based education (SBE) to be successful, there needs to be significant coordination and resource interoperability. The undergraduate, pre-registration and post-registration postgraduate organisations, councils and health boards will have to work together. We recognised that the role of the Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW) Simulation Team would be that of a conduit in facilitating discussions between relevant stakeholders to identify wishes for simulation-based IPE, challenges and potential solutions and how this can be achieved by all stakeholders. After completing the project proposal, the simulation team invited individuals from all relevant stakeholders across health and care organisations and institutions in Wales.

Results:

All stakeholders agree that there are various challenges which has resulted in the preclusion of IPE in SBE so far, although the benefit has been well recognised. The stakeholder views from discussions so far are as below:

Communication and collaboration will be fundamental both internally and externally to institutions and organisations.

Sharing best practice and resources will be one of the keys to success.

IPE in simulation needs to be driven by the service/education need, not by technology

Joint interprofessional leadership in implementation and delivery is important.

An infrastructure and shared pathway is required between Health Boards/Trust and Health Education Institutions, so everyone has the same strategy/joint direction.

Conclusion:

Interprofessional SBE can be the focal point in promoting patient-centred care where professionals across healthcare learn about, of and from each other in a curriculum-based, validated teaching and training programme. We are continuing the conversation to identify the pathway for the successful implementation in Wales.

References

1. Organisation WHO. Referral Systems: A summary of key processes to guide health services managers. 2008.

2. Olenick M, Allen LR, Smego RA, Jr. Interprofessional education: a concept analysis. Adv Med Educ Pract. 2010;1:75–84.

3. Reeves S, Perrier L, Goldman J, Freeth D, Zwarenstein M. Interprofessional education: effects on professional practice and healthcare outcomes (update). Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013;2013(3):Cd002213.