Interprofessional Education in Allied Health Programs: Opportunity or Superfluous Effort?

Abstract

There has been growing recognition of the importance of interprofessional education (IPE) in preparing healthcare professionals for collaborative and patient-focused practices. While allied health professional programs have included IPE in their curricula for years, there is limited evidence of its impact on graduates' professional lives and its contribution to improved patient care. Faculty from eight accredited allied health programs were invited to complete a web-based survey. Most participants (n=190) reported already implementing IPE in their programs. Three-quarters of participants (n=143, 75%) reported they were not measuring the impact of IPE on graduates' professional lives. Among those that do measure it, one-third reported that IPE had "a great deal" or "a lot" of impact (n=17, 36.2%) on the professional lives of their graduates. Similarly, most participants (n=158, 84%) reported not assessing IPE's impact on overall patient care. Among those who did consider the effect on patient care, more than one-third (n=14, 45.2%) of the respondents indicated that IPE had "a great deal" or "a lot" of impact on patient care. Our results show that few programs measure IPE's effect on professional practice, with even fewer assessing its impact on patient care. Future research should prioritize longitudinal studies evaluating IPE's effectiveness in clinical settings and its connection to interprofessional practice in health settings.