Evaluation of the effectiveness of Interprofessional Education at Gunma University as the WHO Collaborating Centre: case series

Abstract

: Interprofessional Education (IPE) plays an important role in the acquisition of an attitude for Collaborative Practice (CP) in undergraduate students. IPE offers a possible way to improve collaboration and patient care. While effective IPE programs have been shown to have a number of positive benefits, it is argued that there is only limited evidence of success in measuring the long-term effects of IPE on health care practice and collaboration. The primary aim of this project was to examine the efficacy of IPE at Gunma University. This case is unique in that the provision of IPE for undergraduate students of both medicine and health sciences has fostered the attitudes toward meaningful collaboration. Then there are only two institutions in the world, which specialize in this IPE at Gunma University as well as University of Malawi, as the WHO Collaborating Centre. Gunma University has implemented a comprehensive IPE program, including lecture-style subjects for first-year students and a training-style subject for third-year students since 1997. As an aftermath of IPE intervention, there is realization of IPE may be professional identity and concrete knowledge for patient safety, especially for communication and leadership, commonly in pre-qualified IPE intervention. Then we strongly suggested that there is a need for in-service IPE in order to sustain attitude and provide a useful CP, which results in good clinical outcome.