Health Professions Accreditors release interprofessional guidance

The Health Professions Accreditors Collaborative and the National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education have released the Guidance on Developing Quality Interprofessional Education for the Health Professions. It was developed through a multi-year, multi-phase consensus process aimed at supporting the development and implementation of quality interprofessional education (IPE). The goals of the guidance are to facilitate the preparation of health professional students for interprofessional collaborative practice through accreditor collaboration and to provide consensus guidance to enable institutions to develop, implement and evaluate systematic IPE approaches and IPE plans.

As the United States health care system is being redesignedto be a patient-driven process that leverages teams, highlights workforceoptimization, increases value, and enhances the use of technology, HealthProfessions Accreditors will help play a key role in producing professionalsthat will excel in this system. To this end, the guidance document is intendedto foster increased communication and collaboration between health professionseducators in the various health professions and to provide guidance onachieving quality IPE.

The document offers consensus terminology and definitionsfor IPE and related concepts; encourages institutional leaders to develop asystematic approach to foster IPE in their own institutions and, whereappropriate, collaborate with academic institutions, health systems, andcommunity partners; suggests a framework for leaders and faculty to develop aplan for quality IPE; and provides opportunities for HPAC member accreditationboards/commissions to utilize the guidance to assess their IPE standards and totrain site teams regarding the essential elements of quality IPE.

To date, the boards/commissions of 24 organizations have endorsed the guidance.

“This historic collaboration between 24 endorsing accreditor members of HPAC and the National Center will guide the development of quality IPE in the United States, and by extension, will foster improvements in the health, well-being, and outcomes of patients, populations, providers and learners,” said Barbara F. Brandt, PhD, FNAP, director, National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education.