This document discusses interprofessional education and practice in healthcare. It provides guiding principles for interprofessional collaboration, including values, roles, communication, teamwork and patient-centeredness. Students reflect on their experiences with interprofessional education and their hopes for practice. Increased collaboration between educational institutions and healthcare employers is seen as important. Examples of interprofessional practice environments include shared rotations, assignments, preceptorships and patient panels. Case studies show problems avoided and attitudes transformed through interprofessional care. Outcomes include improved patient safety, quality of care and costs through team-based approaches.

1. Changing the Health Care Conversation
The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The
second best time is now.
Japanese Proverb

2. IPE – Guiding Principles
 Values/Ethics for Interprofessional
Practice
 Roles/Responsibilities for
Collaborative Practice
 Interprofessional Communication
 Interprofessional Teamwork and
Team-based Care
 Collaborative Leadership
 Patient-Centeredness

3. Changing the Conversation
University of New England students
reflect on their experience of
Interprofessional Education, and their
hopes for Interprofessional Practice.

4. The Nexus
The next step forward is to increase the link between
future healthcare employers and campus-based
interprofessional educational initiatives.

5. Interprofessional Practice
Environments
6 Week Shared
Rotations
Shared
Assignments &
Didactics
Crossprofessional
preceptorships
Common
Patient Panel

6. Case Study

7. Problems Avoided
o Identification of non-compliance with
medication protocols
o Incorrect medication storage leading to
weakening of drug effects
o Duplication of drugs
o Intervention for behavioral health issues
o Identification of resource and access issues
impeding health management

8. Transforming Attitudes
“One of the best parts of this interaction for me was the ability to
learn and share with one another. I was able to share my strengths
as a student and learn to appreciate the strengths of student
pharmacists. We both have the same goal: to provide excellent
patient care, but we approach this goal from very different
perspectives.”
“Because we know each other better, our interactions come easier
and smoother when it comes to patient care… we feel comfortable
to chime in and the visits became integrated in an organic way.”

9. Insider Tips
•
•
•
•
•
•
The Power of Team.. 1 + 1 = > 2
Building Relationship and Oatmeal Casserole
Face Time
Trust
Empowerment
Results!

10. Social Determinants of Health
After visiting with the (patient) for a long period of time
we were able to find deeper issues associated with her
noncompliance and inability to attend office visits: our
main focus became finding this young woman help. It was
clear that the patient really trusted [physician] and was
very open and honest with her communication. We ended
up referring the young women to the social worker.
Better Population Health

11. Controlling Cost
Before this rotation started, I had imagined that team-based
care would be more efficient but more expensive. After
having gone through the rotation, I can see that the additional
resources do actually help save money in the long term. For
example, when patients are discharged from the hospital with
a diagnosis of CHF, any re-admittance within 30 days will not
be covered by insurances. So the team-based approach to
educating patients in this setting will help save money for the
patient as well as the facility.

12. Enhancing Patient-centeredness
Not only was there time to review and
reconcile the patient’s medication, it
was also a chance to practice the art of
medicine in empathizing and listening to
the patient’s history. During these
stories, I learned to understand that
certain factors in their lives, situations in
the past to present, have caused them
difficulties and as a professional you
must not judge. Listening and tailoring
care for the patient dispels any stigma
that patient’s may have towards health
care providers. By learning to cast away
any prejudices, I see that relations
between patient and caregiver can
become a partnership in improving
healthcare for the patient.

13. … suspending the old ways
“It helps to transform the operations and culture of
healthcare to being more vigilant, with each curious
question posed by a student or mentor during clinical
rounds. It raises the level of care because certain
findings may be overlooked but will be addressed by the
student and holding other practitioners accountable to
the care of the patient.”

14. Triple Aim Outcomes
Patient Safety & Controlling Costs
• Each IP cohort has had at least one significant intervention with a
patient on a home visit averting errors and potential readmissions.
More specifically, medication misadventures were discovered and
corrected before consequences resulted. I imagine what a rehospitalization would cost the health system, let alone the
reduction in quality of life for the patient.
Improved Quality of Care
• Medication management consultations; teams strengthened
connections between patients-providers and between providersproviders
Connecting Academic & Clinical Site Education
• I have seen significant changes in attitudes from the students who
are working in teams doing patient care both in the clinic and home
visits. By the end of the rotation I have heard each student say “
I NOW value the role of …..X…” in patient care…..I NOW
understand my ability to work more closely with ….X”.

15. Faculty Reflections
“The more we work interprofessionally, the more
apparent it becomes that we face tremendously
challenging health care issues that can only be
solved through collaboration and teamwork.
There is momentum to our interprofessional
efforts that appears unstoppable.”
Jan Froehlich, OT Faculty

16. Shelley Cohen Konrad PhD, LCSW
Daniel MicKool, M.S. R.Ph
University of New England
716 Stevens Avenue
Portland, ME 04103
scohenkonrad@une.edu
kpardue@une.edu