New IPR Global Publication on the Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on IPECP Around the Globe

The Interprofessional Research Global (IPR Global) COVID Impact Survey Group is pleased to share that an article reporting the results of  Phase 1 of the survey, The perceived impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on interprofessional education and collaborative practice: preliminary results from phase I of a global survey, was published online by the Journal of Interprofessional Care authored by Andreas Xyrichis, Hossein Khalili, Dean Lising, Mukadder İ̇nci Baser Kolcu, Ghaidaa Najjar and Sylvia Langlois.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a sizable effect on interprofessional education and collaborative practice (IPECP) globally, yet much of the available literature on the topic remains anecdotal and locally bounded. This body of literature reflects celebratory and aspirational reports, with many case studies of successful response and perseverance under conditions of extreme pressure. There is, however, a more worrisome narrative emerging that pointed to differences in pandemic response with concerns raised about the sustainability of IPECP during and after the pandemic. The COVID-19 task force of Interprofessional Research Global (IPR Global) set out to capture the successes and challenges of the interprofessional community over the pandemic through a longitudinal survey, with a view to inform global attempts at recovery and resilience. 

In this article, we report preliminary findings from Phase 1 of the survey. Phase 1 of the survey was sent to institutions/organizations in IPR Global (representing over 50 countries from Europe, North and South America, Australia, and Africa). The country-level response rate was over 50%. Key opportunities and challenges include the abrupt digitalization of collaborative learning and practice; de-prioritization of interprofessional education (IPE); and rise in interprofessional collaborative spirit. Implications for IPECP pedagogy, research, and policy post-pandemic are considered. 

To read the full paper, please visit https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13561820.2023.2220739  

IPR.Global Members Provide Online Workshop on Mixed-Methods Research Design and Collaborative IPECP Scholarship

The Network: Towards Unity for Health Online Community (TUFH) Workshop 

Using Mixed-Methods Research Methodology to Design and Evaluate Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice (IPECP) Initiatives

Date: December 8, 2022 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM UTC

Venue: Zoom - Free of Charge

Registration Link: https://tufh.org/events/99452/registration 

Description:

Despite improvements in the quantity and quality of evaluative research on interprofessional education, and collaborative practice and care (IPECP), there is still much to be achieved. The research agenda for IPECP should elevate the process of enquiry by focusing on examining and determining the impact of IPECP on service users. The rigorous assessment and evaluation of IPECP initiatives are essential to advancing the discipline. Mixed-methods research can assist IPECP researchers/scholars in producing comprehensive quantitative and qualitative evidence that uncovers multiple perspectives of both paradigms to determine the impact of IPECP on safe high-quality care; understanding the complexity of health care costs; determining ‘collaborative practice-readiness of health and social care professionals; and ultimately improving population and public health. Intended Outcomes: This workshop aims to connect current investigators who wish to understand IPECP and generate new knowledge in this area, using a mixed methodological approach. Participants will be introduced to the principles and key decisions necessary for rigorous mixed-methods research, and how it can be applied by practitioners, educators and health administrators to evaluate IPECP.

Presenters:

Hossein Khalili, RN, BScN, MScN, PhD, FNAP, Director, UW Centre of Interprofessional Practice & Education, University of Wisconsin; President, InterprofessionalResearch.Global

Barbara Maxwell, PT, Ph.D., DPT, MSc, Cert THE, FNAP, Associate Dean & Director INdiana University Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education Professor of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, School of Medicine, Indiana University

Dean Lising, BSc, BScPT, MHSc, Team-Based Practice and Education Lead, Director, BOOST! Program, Centre for Interprofessional Education, Lecturer, Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto

Andrea Pfeifle, EdD PT FNAP, Associate Vice Chancellor for Interprofessional Practice and Education, The Ohio State University

Veronica O'Carroll, RN, BA(Hons), MSc, PhD.  Director of Postgraduate Teaching, School of Medicine, University of St Andrews, Scotland UK

Zaid Al-Hamdan RN, PhD, Professor, Faculty of Nursing, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan

Outcomes for Participants:

At the end of  the Workshop participants will be able to:

• Understand the value and impact of mixed methods approaches to IPECP assessment, evaluation, and research.
• Contrast principles and decision-making processes in rigorous mixed-methods IPECP research.
• Apply learnings to participant’s context of practice, education, and research agenda using group knowledge co-creation and integration.

Agenda:

1. Round table introductions and sharing experience and one personal goal of the workshop
2. Quick review of research in IPECP
3. Overview of commonly used mixed-method research methodology (and their common designs) in IPECP
4. Small Group Activity - Research knowledge integration: applying mixed-method research methodology in real case scenarios
5. Report out and next steps
6. Wrap Up

We recommend you to read the following article prior to the event: 

Khalili H, Breitbach A, Jensen G, King S, Maxwell B, Nickol D, et al. Global leadership in IPECP research; an intro to co-creation of best practice guidelines. Journal of Interprofessional Education & Practice. 2021;24:100445. 

IPR.Global Members Publish Editorial Advocating for a Systems Approach to Advancing Health Care Resilience

 Guest Editorial - Journal of Interprofessional Care

Advancing health care resilience through a systems-based collaborative approach: Lessons learned from COVID-19

Hossein Khalili, Dean Lising, Giray Kolcu, Jill Thistlethwaite, John Gilbert, Sylvia Langlois, Barbara Maxwell, Mukadder İnci Başer Kolcu, Kathleen M. MacMillan, Carl Schneider, José Rodrigues Freire Filho, Ghaidaa Najjar, Zaid Al-Hamdan & Andrea Pfeifle 

The COVID-19 pandemic has reminded everyone of the importance of long-term planning and preparedness. Effective pandemic preparedness requires the engagement of all stakeholders from across the spectrum of care while being aware of the strengths, susceptibilities, and capabilities of the health care system. Identifying gaps in preparedness, determining specific priorities, and developing plans for building and sustaining healthcare delivery while effectively addressing the pandemic and resilience at all levels from the individual, to team, organization, and system is crucial for success. There is an emergent need to build structures and processes that support resilience among current and future healthcare providers, teams, organizations, and systems. We believe that to prevent from and effectively address such crises in future, a systems-based collaborative approach to developing resilience is required. In response, InterprofessionalResearch.Global (IPR.Global) has recently published a Call to Action paper that provides key direction regarding interprofessional responses to address individual resilience, and support the resilience of healthcare teams, organizations, and systems.

Link to full text of article: 

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13561820.2021.1981265

Link to IPR.Global "Call to Action": 

https://interprofessionalresearch.global/resilience-call-to-action/

Interprofessional education and collaborative practice research during the COVID-19 pandemic: Considerations to advance the field - a Journal of Interprofessional Care guest editorial by IPR.Global taskforce

Amid a global pandemic, learners, educators, administrators, researchers, practitioners, and service users find themselves in exceptional, unparalleled, and unusual circumstances. The interprofessional education and collaborative practice (IPECP) research community has been affected in a multitude of ways and vast changes are being experienced leaving one to wonder whether we are alone in a field that espouses unity and if there is guidance available. In late 2019, InterprofessionalResearch.Global (IPR.Global) and Interprofessional.Global (IP.Global) authored a discussion paper to rouse dialogue and offer perspectives for the global IPECP research agenda (Khalili et al., 2019). The long-term aim was to advance IPECP theory and research by 2022, through recommendations for research priorities and counsel on theoretical frameworks, research methodologies, and formation of research teams. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a rapid transformation to online IPECP, necessitating evaluation of the impact on students, programs, service users, and the healthcare system. Understandably, many are now asking how to continue to move forward, or even restart, IPECP research in this “new normal”. In response, IPR.Global formed a COVID-19 taskforce, from which an editorial was developed, to shed light on IPR.Global’s proposed recommendations for research teams and offer ways to forge ahead. 

Access the article at the journal webpage: 

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13561820.2020.1807481

For more information contact Dr. Kelly Lackie, Dalhousie University: klackie@dal.ca