Chapter 1- Introduction to Interprofessional Collaboration in Healthcare
All healthcare students must prepare to deliberately work together in clinical practice with a common goal of building a safer, more effective, patient-centered healthcare system. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines interprofessional collaborative practice as multiple health workers from different professional backgrounds working together with patients, families, caregivers, and communities to deliver the highest quality of care (World Health Organization, 2010).
Effective teamwork and communication are key to improving patient safety and achieving team outcomes (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 2023). The importance of effective interprofessional collaboration has become even more important as healthcare professionals advocate to reduce health disparities related to social determinants of health (SDOH). In these efforts, healthcare professionals work with people from a variety of professions, such as social workers, educators, policymakers, attorneys, faith leaders, government employees, community advocates, and community members. Healthcare students must be prepared to effectively collaborate interprofessionally after graduation (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 2021).
Media 1.1. E-Learning University Medical Center Groningen. (2022). Introduction to interprofessional collaboration and interprofessional education [Online video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wq48o5ZwHAY
IPEC COre Competencies
The Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) has identified four core competencies for effective interprofessional collaborative practice. This open educational resource will review content related to these four core competencies and provide examples of how they relate to different health professions. IPEC established standard core competencies for effective interprofessional collaborative practice. The competencies guide the education of future health professionals with the necessary knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes to collaboratively work together in providing client care. See the table below for a description of the four IPEC core competencies (Interprofessional Education Collaborative Expert Panel, 2023).
IPEC Core Competencies
Competency 1: Values and Ethics
Work with team members to maintain a climate of shared values, ethical conduct, and mutual respect.
Competency 2: Roles and Responsibilities
Use the knowledge of one’s own role and team members’ expertise to address individual and population health outcomes.
Competency 3: Communication
Communicate in a responsive, respectful, and compassionate manner with team members.
Competency 4: Teams and Teamwork
Apply values and principles of the science of teamwork to adapt one’s own role in a variety of team settings.
Each of these competencies will be further discussed in the following chapters of this resource.
References and attributions
“Collaboration Within the Interprofessional Team Introduction” in Nursing Management and Professional Concepts by Chippewa Valley Technical College. Published by the Wisconsin Technical College System under a CC BY 4.0 license. Lightly edited to update TeamSTEPPS content.
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. (2023, June). Section 2: Explanation and Value of the TeamSTEPPS Curriculum. https://www.ahrq.gov/teamstepps-program/curriculum/intro/explain.html
Learning University Medical Center Groningen. (2022). Introduction to interprofessional collaboration and interprofessional education [Online video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wq48o5ZwHAY
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2021). The future of nursing 2020-2030: Charting a path to achieve health equity. The National Academies Press. Lightly edited for brevity, clarity, and flow. For more information, visit https://doi.org/10.17226/25982.
World Health Organization. (2010). Framework for action on interprofessional education & collaborative practice. Lightly edited for brevity, clarity, and flow. For more information, visit https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/framework-for-action-on-interprofessional-education-collaborative-practice.
IPEC Core Competencies
Interprofessional Education Collaborative Expert Panel. (2023). Core competencies for interprofessional collaborative practice: Version 3. https://www.ipecollaborative.org/assets/core-competencies/IPEC_Core_Competencies_Version_3_2023.pdf
Image description
Image 1.1: A photo. Various healthcare workers at a hospital are smiling at the camera.
