In a world where everything seems more intertwined, it’s no surprise that healthcare disciplines are following suit. Public health, pharmacy, nursing and specialty areas are all tying into medical practice through technology in ways that are changing how medicine is delivered.
As this evolution occurs, education must follow suit to help train the professionals of tomorrow how to learn from, work with and understand the work of colleagues in adjacent specialties. Having the ability to collaborate with a diverse set of stakeholders has positive implications for improved patient health outcomes and costs.
What is Interprofessional Education?
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “interprofessional education (IPE) refers to an environment where students from two or more professions learn about, from and with each other to enable effective collaboration and improve health outcomes.”
By nature, health informatics is interdisciplinary, combining the worlds of information technology and healthcare to use IT-based innovations in delivering, managing and planning care. It is a key component in meeting public health challenges around the world.
By attending an institution that takes an IPE approach to its curriculum, you could potentially become involved in interprofessional research projects to gain a deeper understanding of the roles and responsibilities of others. It will help you communicate effectively across teams and merge professional expertise.
IPE at USF
USF Health’s Morsani College of Medicine is known nationally for its innovative curriculum with an emphasis on improving healthcare through interprofessional education, research and clinical activities.
As a major medical center, USF’s interdisciplinary approach to healthcare is a partnership between the Morsani College of Medicine; the Colleges of Nursing, Public Health and Pharmacy; and the Schools of Biomedical Sciences and Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences.
For USF students, this approach pays dividends in the workplace.
“I never know what I’ll be called on to do,” says Ethel Massing, a graduate of USF’s Master of Science in Health Informatics program. “Yesterday it was dealing with a vendor to set up a new DICOM transfer. Today it was scoping a cardio-oncology project. Each of my classes gave me a necessary “puzzle piece” which put together make me a very well-rounded health informatics professional with a broad knowledge base.”
Technology and the changing nature of healthcare’s delivery has more people who are interested in a healthcare career questioning which route they will take. Interprofessional education that exposes students to other areas of healthcare can help students find the best path forward before receiving a degree and entering the workforce.
Benefits of Interprofessional Collaboration and Education
The effectiveness of interprofessional education can be felt by providers whose employees enter the workforce prepared to work collaboratively with members of the care continuum from a different specialty. Interprofessional collaboration empowers more members of the care team to make recommendations about patient care, closes communication gaps by creating opportunities for in-person communication where ideas can be shared and fosters discussion with stakeholders further down the continuum of care.
The result is a more comprehensive, patient-centered type of care that can have ongoing positive effects, such as lower readmission rates and reduced costs. This is particularly important as the move to value-based care continues.
