Interprofessional.Global

Global Cafe – EIPEN and South India Updates (23 March 2022)

Date and Time: 23 March 2022; 8am GMT

Moderators: Lorraine Walker & Richard Pitt

European Interprofessional Practice & Education Network (EIPEN) Key Competences Framework

Speaker: Andre Vyt

Abstract:

Successful interprofessional collaboration and teamwork in health and social care practice require adequate competences of health care professionals. The competences framework of EIPEN – the European Interprofessional Practice & Education Network – is among the first existing models for interprofessional education. The update of 2021 is the result of a consulting process with experts and stakeholders.

The model focuses on a team-based approach to learn and implement interprofessional collaboration, and ultimately improve care. It adopts a problem-solving approach in which clients, partners and significant others are actively involved, and a holistic person-oriented care in which quality of life and empowerment are core values and in which all domains of health are incorporated.

EIPEN opts for a concise model which is clear and easy to handle. The elaborated competences are recognizable for different health care professions, and adapted to the different contexts of health and social care. The quality of health, of well-being, and of health care is in the focus.

Change in attitudes and perceptions of undergraduate health profession students towards inter-professional education following an educational experience in post natal care

Author(s): Amita Ray, Sujoy Ray, Mary Saji Daniel, Bharath Kumar

Abstract:

Even though Interprofessional education has come a long way world wide it is still in its infancy in India. This study was done in a medical college in South India as a part of dissertation for the degree of MSc HPE. The aim was to gauge the attitudes of health professional undergraduates towards Inter-professional education in an Indian context.

Interprofessional Education (IPE) has been identified as an educational program aimed at increasing collaboration among health professionals, and improving health care outcomes. IPE programs have been incorporated in several countries and have shown positive results. The same may not be true for Asian cultures which are typically more hierarchical than others. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of IPE on undergraduate health professional students’ attitudes and perceptions in an Indian context.

Following an IPE experience undergraduate health professional students (n = 96) from three professions (Medicine, Nursing and Physiotherapy) completed a validated retro-pre questionnaire. Paired-sample t test was used to compare pre-test and post-test scores and ANOVA was used to compare the magnitude of change. Qualitative analysis was done for the open ended questions.

The three professions showed a significant improvement in attitude (p < 0.001). The physiotherapists were more comfortable (p = 0.021) with questioning and being questioned and the nurses showed a significantly (p = 0.012) greater increase in extent of reliability as compared to the other two professionals. Participants identified the concepts of “team work”, “knowledge of roles of other professionals” and “communication” as important to their learning and practice.

The study identified a positive attitude among students and the given intervention resulted in a significant improvement in their comfort levels and reliability on other professionals. It would be reasonable to conclude therefore that acceptability for Interprofessional education in the Indian context is high in spite of the cultural differences and hierarchical nuances.

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