IPR.Global Scholar Spotlight - Dr. Shelley Cohen Konrad, University of New England (USA)

Hello from the beautiful state of Maine. My name is Dr. Shelley Cohen Konrad and I’m the founding Director of the Center to Advance Interprofessional Education and Practice at the University of New England (UNE). The Center is the IPE hub for UNE providing interprofessional programming across its campuses in Biddeford and Portland Maine. UNE also has a satellite campus in Tangier Morocco. 

I’m a clinical social worker by training having come to academia and the world of research and scholarship as a second, midlife career. As a social worker my primary focus was on children and families (1) and as such, I worked closely with workers from many disciplines including medicine, education, rehabilitation, mental health, and juvenile corrections. In 1997 I co-founded a non-profit, Kids First, whose mission was and continues to be to help children and families during parental separation and divorce. My very first peer reviewed article, Interdisciplinary Collaboration Between Mental Health Practitioners and Lawyers with Divorcing Families: Building Pathways for Communication and Practice was published in 2001 in the Journal of Divorce and Remarriage. It was a prescient forecast of my later career focused on interprofessional research and scholarship.

Days after completing my doctorate at Simmons College in Boston I was approached by the University of New England to teach in their Master of Social Work program. At first reluctant to leave pediatric social work practice, I thought the opportunity to teach amongst multiple health professions was an enticing way to spend what I was then calling my ‘retirement’ job. Once situated at UNE I quickly discovered that rather than learning together, health professions programs were not only siloed, but didn’t seem to particularly like or respect one another. I learned that UNE had made past efforts to develop an interprofessional culture, but it had failed mostly because the initiative was top down rather than generated by faculty and student priorities. In 2006 along with a small cohort of colleagues, I began hosting lunches and developing co-designed interprofessional activities with colleagues similarly interested in disrupting the silo culture. In 2010 UNE’s Interprofessional Education Collaborative was launched. The Collaborative grew exponentially as faculty, students, community partners, and professional staff realized the utility of bringing students together to learn health professions skills and knowledge. 

My original areas of research interest stemmed from my doctoral work with parents of children who acquired life affecting illnesses and disabilities. My work expanded to better understanding tenets of relational learning and practice, which naturally intersected with interprofessional education. I also became intrigued by the association between the arts and health professions pedagogy (2) being an avid art collector myself. 

Currently I’m passionate about collaborative and cross-institutional research and scholarship projects, which is what drew me to IPR.Global. It’s been a pleasure being part of a group whose common interests so, align. Its also so much fun networking and making connections with colleagues from all over the world. Apart from my dorkish, academic side, I enjoy baking, reading mystery novels, hiking, and spending time on the beautiful coast of Maine with my family, friends, and constant companion, Hank, a Boston Terrier.

To learn more about the UNE Center to Advance Interprofessional Education and Practice: www.une.edu/caiep

Contact Dr. Cohen Konrad at: scohenkonrad@une.edu

REFERENCES

1. Cohen Konrad, S. (2019) Child and Family Practice: A Relational Perspective, Second Edition.  New York: Oxford University Press.
2. Cohen Konrad, S. & Sela-Amit, M. (Eds.) Social Work and the Arts: Expanding Horizons. (January 2024).

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 Establishes New Strategic Alliances with National Academies of Practice and Canadian Interprofessional Health Collaborative

Interprofessional Research Global (IPRG)'s Partnership Development Working Group engaged in a systematic process using a defined rubric to evaluate potential relationships with other interprofessional organizations globally. Organizations were explored based on information available through their websites to determine potential alignment and the feasibility of pursuing a potential working relationship. The Canadian Interprofessional Health Collaborative (CIHC) and the National Academies of Practice (NAP) were two of the organizations that were identified which appeared to have strong alignment with the mission, vision, and interprofessional values of IPRG. 

In December 2022, IPRG approached NAP and CIHC to explore the possibility of engaging in a collaborative relationship on issues of mutual interest. In January 2023, leadership from NAP and leadership from CIHC each virtually met with the leadership of IPRG (President and members of the Partnership Development Working Group) to learn more about each other’s organization and to explore if, and specifically where, there might be areas of mutual synergy, interest, and strategic benefit between both organizations. 

Following these two meetings, the IPRG Partnership Development Working Group drafted a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) regarding the specific initiatives and information sharing that the leadership of both organizations had identified as potential areas for collaboration during the virtual conference call. A draft MOU was also shared with the leadership of IPRG to assess the feasibility of engaging in the specific initiatives and information sharing proposed for inclusion in the MOU. Following several iterations and revisions, the MOU between NAP and IPRG and CIHC and IPRG were finalized in May and signed by the leaders of each organization. 

NAP and CIHC will discuss next steps with IPRG toward operationalizing the partnership agreements. Specifically, they will consider how best to proceed with defined areas of mutual interest in the MOU - including priorities, timelines, communications and outreach, and overall coordination. We are excited about these two new strategic alliances with IPRG and look forward to initiatives of mutual benefit that can advance all of these organizations in the future!

For more information on Canadian Interprofessional Health Collaborative go to: https://www.cihc-cpis.com/

For more information about the National Academies of Practice go to: https://www.napractice.org/

For more information about Interprofessional Research Global go to: https://interprofessionalresearch.global/

IPR.Global Partnership Development Working Group - Guide for Publishing in Journals with Interprofessional Focus

 

The Interprofessional Research.Global Partnership Development Working Group surveyed several journals with an interprofessional focus by posing specific questions that responses were sought to help to further clarify these journals' scope along with data such as time for review and publication. Additional information was drawn from the journal websites. 

A guide has been developed based on this information to enable members to better understand best fit for manuscript submissions on a specific topic and type of publication. This is not an all-inclusive list and for the most current information for authors, please access the respective websites or contact the journals directly.

Click on this link to access PDF copy of the guide.

IPR.Global PEARLS: Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice (IPECP) in Post-COVID Healthcare Education and Practice Transformation Era

The COVID-19 Pandemic produced significant disruptions in all aspects of life across the world. Globally, no region avoided the impact that this crisis created. It particularly stressed healthcare delivery systems with regard to resources and personnel, requiring collaboration, creativity, and resilience of health professionals, institutions, and policy makers. Educational institutions felt a similar impact where, in March 2020, many universities and colleges were forced into a new pedagogical paradigm of remote learning with online and hybrid delivery methods.

These conditions reinforced the need for interprofessional collaboration in educational and healthcare and many of the lessons learned from innovations that were developed in response to the pandemic have produced a lasting impact on persons and institutions. Our purpose is to explore and discuss the impact and application of healthcare education and practice transformation on interprofessional education and collaborative practice (IPECP) during the post-COVID era (from a global perspective) with the goal to identify best practices to integrate and sustain IPECP.

This report provides information in two sections:

IPECP and Healthcare Education and Practice at a Cross Point: The future of healthcare relies on our successful and systematic evolution out of the pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has placed healthcare at a crossroads of either viewing it as a temporary situation that requires short-term solutions, or as a major disruption that presents opportunities for innovation for sustainable development and transformation.

From Momentum to a Movement: Ways to Integrate and Sustain IPECP in Healthcare Education and Practice: As the landscape of higher education and healthcare is continuing to evolve to meet the growing needs and expectations of students, patients, and communities, it is time for the IPECP leaders to reflect on the changing societal trends, demographics, diversity, and technologies in becoming more adaptable for the future. The healthcare digital transformation and technologies are here to stay and grow, and the sustainability and growth of virtual learning and practice in IPECP will be reliant on how we best utilize them to meet the IPECP agenda and goal of achieving Quintuple Aim.

The Report is accessible here: https://interprofessionalresearch.global/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/IPECP-in-Post-COVID-Healthcare-Education-and-Practice-Transformation-Era-Joint-Discussion-Paper.pdf

IPR.Global Research & Leadership Awards Nominations due January 16th

The InterprofessionalResearch.Global (IPR.Global) Research and Leadership Awards recognize interprofessional scholarly works and leadership that exemplify excellence in the following Award Categories:

Barbara Fifield Brandt IPR.Global Award – The Barbara Fifield Brandt IPR.Global Award will recognize an academic – practice partnership team that demonstrates impact on learner and health outcomes through sustaining and connecting interprofessional education and collaborative practice in community-based practice settings serving vulnerable and high-risk populations.

Hugh Barr Global Award – The Hugh Barr IPR.Global Award will recognize an interprofessional team for the evaluation of an outstanding example of collaboration between academic institutions and health/social service delivery organizations in high/middle-income and low-income countries to promote and sustain interprofessional education and collaborative practice.

John H.V. Gilbert Global Award – The John H.V. Gilbert IPR.Global Award will recognize the author of an outstanding interprofessional doctoral dissertation, published in the past three years (since 2019), that has resulted in a learning paradigm which brings interprofessional education and learning to interprofessional collaborative practice in a practice setting where practitioners, students and patients have been engaged in developing measurable interprofessional high quality care. 

IPR.Global Distinguished Leadership Award – The IPR.Global Distinguished Leadership Award recognizes outstanding leadership of an individual/team who have made transformative, inclusive, measurable, and sustainable contributions to the promotion, implementation, evaluation, and/or advancement of interprofessional education, collaborative practice, and/or research in and across their educational/practice/network settings with a global impact.

The IPR.Global Research and Leadership Awards aim at honoring innovative interprofessional scholarly work in the format of partnership, evaluation, research, or dissertation work, accompanied by outstanding interprofessional leadership that has had a positive sustainable impact on the academic/practice/community with notable contribution to the interprofessional education and collaborative practice field at the global level.

Who Is Eligible?

Nominations for the award may be made by individuals (John H.V. Gilbert IPR.Global Award and IPR.Global Distinguished Leadership Award) or by teams/partnerships (Barbara Fifield Brandt IPR.Global Award, Hugh Barr IPR.Global Award, and IPR.Global Distinguished Leadership Award) from academia, practice, service users/consumers and/or students.

Nominations may be made by individuals external to the project. Please be advised that the Application Form, however, must be completed by the Nominee/s (Applicant/s).

Award Nomination Website: https://interprofessionalresearch.global/bestresearchawards/

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.