What is interprofessional practice and education?
Traditionally these terms have been defined as:
- Interprofessional Education (IPE) occurs when two or more professions learn about, from and with each other to enable effective collaboration and improve health outcomes.
- Interprofessional Practice occurs when multiple health workers from different professional backgrounds work together with patients, families, carers and communities to deliver the highest quality of care.
-Framework for Action on Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice,
World Health Organization, 2010
However, the National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education has developed a definition of the "New" IPE which encompasses both practice and education:
- Interprofessional practice and education (IPE) creates a shared space between interprofessional education, interprofessional practice and collaborative practice.
- It is NOT about education for education's sake. It's about improving health, creating support systems and trying different models of practice. It intentionally supports people--including health professionals, health workers, students, residents, patients, families and communities--to learn together every day to enhance collaboration and improve health outcomes while reducing costs.
Source: https://nexusipe.org/informing/about-ipe
CIPE's additions to the 'New IPE' definition
IPE is bi-directional and includes at least two professions in a shared synchronous or asynchronous learning experience. We agree that some foundational knowledge can be taught uniprofessionally first and then reinforced interprofessionally.