Abstract

For the last half-century, interprofessional education (IPE) has been identified and discussed as a critical educational process to facilitate collaboration in order to improve healthcare outcomes for healthcare participants. While the concept is not new, outcome-based research has provided few valid and reliable explanations of whether and how IPE can be effective in healthcare quality improvement. This challenge stems from the struggle to understand the epistemological meaning of IPE. The purpose of this literature review paper is to provide a synthesized understanding of IPE, its meaning, and to provide practical guidance for medical educators. The paper reviewed several key aspects of IPE. Professionalility was discussed to understand the historical background of IPE, followed by an explanation of the international trend of embracing the complexity of health care practice and the need for interprofessional collaboration. Additionally, several theoretical perspectives, such as general systems theory, social identity theory, and community of practice were reviewed to pinpoint what constitutes IPE. Several existing definitions were discussed with similar concepts (i.e., disciplinary vs. professional, and multi-, inter-, vs. trans-) to clarify the nature of knowledge and collaboration in IPE. Three concepts, including practice, authenticity of context, and socialization were proposed as key constructs of IPE, followed by appropriate timing of IPE, outcome research, directions for future research, and guidance for implementation. Community-based medical education practice, professional socialization within a community, and longitudinal system-based outcome research are recommended as future directions for research and practice.

Keywords

• Interprofessional relations;
• Medical education;
• Professional education;
• Professional practice