Values Based Practice and Interprofessional Education: A new Interprofessional Education Handbook
We share our Interprofessional Education (IPE) Handbook and a summary of our evaluation of a pilot introducing the Handbook to practitioners and educators through an interprofessional workshop. Values and Values Based Practice are integral to IPE, both guiding how practitioners work with patients or clients and defining the ways in which members of different professions work together. We present the development of the Handbook and workshops and possible uses of the Handbook.
The terms “interprofessional” and “IPE” are widely used, however, these terms are often used inaccurately. The UK Centre for the Advancement of Interprofessional Education (CAIPE) is recognised internationally as one of leading organisations in this field. CAIPE’s definition of IPE, ‘Occasions when two or more professions learn with, from and about each other to improve collaboration and the quality of care’ (CAIPE 2002), is accepted nationally and internationally. IPE is distinct from “mutiprofessional education” (or common learning), which is defined as, “Occasions when two or more professions learn side by side for whatever reason” (Barr, 2002).
Supporting educators and practitioners in developing and delivering interprofessional education
VBP is integral to IPE and enables learners to rehearse shared balanced decision making in a protected learning environment. This can subsequently be translated into effective collaborative practice with a greater emphasis on person centred care (Merriman et al., 2020).
Two current topics, Patient safety and Integrated Care. illustrate the relevance of both IPE and VBP:
IPE has a critical role informing approaches to managing patient safety (Anderson et al., 2017; WHO, 2011). Both IPE and VBP place the patient at the centre of all learning; different professions actively engage in a positive and interactive learning process, with the focus on improving the experience of the patient rather than attributing blame. In addition, IPE with VBP enables a supportive working culture which can facilitate staff resilience as well as improve the patient experience of health and social care.
Current UK policy aims to deliver a person-centred whole system approach to care across sector boundaries through integration of health and social care. Interpersonal and interprofessional relationships and are at the heart of such a transformation. Professionals will require capabilities such as understanding of others’ roles, respect for differences, the ability to communicate with professions with different philosophical and value systems, and the ability to negotiate differences and plan person-centred care collaboratively. IPE incorporating VBP equips professionals at any stage of their career with these capabilities enabling them to deliver effective integrated care. This is reflected in the recommendations of Clouder et al. (2017).
Development of the IPE Handbook and workshops
Health Education England (HEE)* commissioned CAIPE to evaluate a new IPE Handbook and a series of pilot workshops, based on the Handbook. The Handbook was designed for busy health and social care practitioners with little time to access or read detailed background material. It focused on helping practitioners develop and implement an IPE event underpinned with relevant theory.
*Health Education England is a public body which is part of the Department of Health; its function is to provide national leadership and coordination of education and training for the health and public health workforce.
Possible uses of the Handbook
The handbook can be used as a standalone resource or in conjunction with a workshop based on the Handbook contents. Their purpose is to provide educators and healthcare practitioners with knowledge and skills related to IPE and VBP in the workplace, and to facilitate the development of local champions.
Further information about the workshop entitled “Workshop 4- Supporting Educators and Practitioners in developing and delivering Interprofessional Education for Integrated Care and Values-based Practice” is available via https://www.caipe.org/expertise
This video provides a summary of the workshop
References.
Anderson E., Gray R.,& Price, K. (2017). Patient safety andinterprofessional education: A report of key issues from two interprofessional workshops. Journal of Interprofessional Care, 31:2, 154-163.
Barr, H. (2002). Inter-professional Education – Today, Yesterday and Tomorrow. London: CAIPE.
CAIPE. (2002). Interprofessional education – a definition.www.caipe.org.
Fulford, K.,Peile,E., and Carroll, H (2012) Essential Values-Based Practice. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Lindqvist, S., Anderson E., Diack, L.and Reeves, S. (2017)CAIPE Fellows statement on integrative care.Available at:https://www.caipe.org/resources/publications/caipe-publications/lindqvist-s-anderson-e-diack-l-reeves-s-2017-caipe-fellows-statement-integrative-care
Merriman, C., Chalmers, L., Ewens, A., Fulford, K., Gray, R., Handa, A, & Westcott, E (2020) Values-based interprofessional education: how interprofessional education and values- based practice interrelate and are vehicles for the benefit of patients and health and social care professionals, Journal of Interprofessional Care, 34:4, 569-571.
WHO. (2011). Patient safety curriculum guide multi-professional edition. Geneva, Switzerland: Accessed from http://www.who.int/patientsafety/education/curriculum/en/
