The ACT Health Interprofessional Learning Project has progressed a long way since the last article in ARCHI Net News (March 2007). For a start, there is now international agreement that ‘interprofessional’ is a bona fide word, without hyphens or spaces! There is mounting international support for interprofessional learning as research slowly reveals the positive effects on patient outcomes, staff satisfaction and the development of a positive organisational culture. Just a glance at some of these links conveys a sense of global conviction that interprofessional practice simply makes sense:

The International Association for Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice (InterEd)

European Interprofessional Education Network (EIPEN)

Centre for the Advancement of Interprofessional Education

Canadian Interprofessional Health Collaborative (CIHC)

Nordic Interprofessional Network

The World Health Organisation (WHO) indentified interprofessional education as essential to developing health service capacity globally in the late 1970’s. WHO has since convened a study group to conduct an international evaluation and synthesis of interprofessional research to date, with the objectives of mapping a global strategy for interprofessional education and practice into the future. This report is expected to be completed in early 2009.

Meanwhile, closer to home, in ACT the collaborative research team from the University of New South Wales have made excellent progress in auditing the ACT health services and tertiary education institutions. The team is using the ACT Health organisational structure as a guide to manage the audit task. Following the action-research methodology, feedback is being provided to all services during the audit process as a way of encouraging interprofessional learning and practice improvement projects.

The team are using a mixed methodological approach including surveys, focus groups, interviews and ethnographic observation. Audit of tertiary education institutions utilises the same methodologies in addition to curriculum analysis. This audit will also encompass the professional bodies, noting their interprofessional competency standards and continuing professional development pathways. It is a huge task, but the research process itself is increasing health professional’s awareness and knowledge of interprofessional practice.

Interprofessional education opportunities are being developed through the ACT Health Training Management System inviting all staff to participate at a level appropriate to them – from a basic introductory 2 hour face-to-face session through to a Masters level credit involving research, project management and facilitation of interprofessional learning.

ACT Health is now the proud owner of the first, and only, health service interprofessional policy. If anyone anywhere knows of another health service which has produced a policy specifically dealing with interprofessional learning, education and practice, please contact the author. This policy aims at helping managers and health professionals put interprofessional practice into daily health care, supplying reporting structures and success indicators. This policy has recently been endorsed and can now be utilised to embed a culture of interprofessionalism into ACT Health.

Two esteemed interprofessional educators from the UK are due to ‘touch-down’ in Australia and New Zealand in February 2009. Dawn Forman and Helena Low are both highly qualified and experienced in interprofessional education. They are offering 2 workshops on the planning and delivery of interprofessional education for universities and the facilitation of interprofessional education for all those interested in teaching and learning. If you are interested in participating in a workshop please contact the author for further details.

The need for interprofessional practice is being evidenced in projects such as the Access Improvement Program (ACT Health) and the Patient and Carer Experience (NSW Health – See ARCHI Net News August 2008). These projects collect patient journeys and stories which time and again illustrate the need for health professionals to collaborate across professional and agency boundaries for the purpose of smoothing the patient experience of health care. Patients report frequently being placed in the position of having to coordinate their own care which leads to dissatisfaction with health services as this is not their expectation. Those patients with chronic conditions feel the ‘gaps’ in services most acutely and rely heavily on the integration of care offered by the health professionals managing them. Health services cannot develop capacity to meet changing demands if disciplinary silos continue to block collaborative care.

To find out more about the ACT Health Interprofessional Learning project please visit the web site:  http://www.health.act.gov.au/IPL  or contact the author: