Western University of Health Sciences - Interprofessional Education

Interprofessional Education

In 2007, WesternU initiated the planning stages of an Interprofessional Education (IPE) program, involving all 9 its colleges; with goals to improve understanding of other health professions and to provide and promote a team approach to patient-centered care and health care management, leading to improved patient care. While a debate exists on the effectiveness of interprofessional education in encouraging collaborative practice, IPE is becoming a more common component of medical school curriculum in the United States, and many groups, including the World Health Organization, view it as a means of reducing medical errors and improving the health care system

As a part of the program, students meet in small groups with a faculty facilitator and discuss the non-clinical aspects of complex cases, such as financial or ethical challenges, communication barriers, interprofessional knowledge and awareness, etc. In the 2010-11 academic year, the IPE program involved 850 students and 150 faculty members from the 9 colleges at the university. The development of clinical IPE rotations with grand rounds and journal clubs is currently being explored.