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  

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