Innovations in Collaborative Practice

The National Center is committed to the Nexus of interprofessional practice and education (Earnest and Brandt, 2014), defined as redesigning both education and healthcare delivery simultaneously to be better integrated and more interprofessional for improved Quadruple Aim outcomes. NexusIPETM happens most effectively within the workplace and may include learners from across the continuum through and including continuing professional development of practicing health teams.

Interprofessional learning in the workplace occurs as part of everyday practice, involving formally or informally acquiring “on the job” knowledge and skills as well as interprofessional values in practice settings. It is contrasted with learning knowledge and skills in classrooms and simulation centers and has been described as an “untapped opportunity for learning and change within the workplace” (Nisbett, Lincoln, and Dunn, 2013). The National Collaborative for Improving the Clinical Learning Environment described practice settings where workplace learning takes place as benefiting patients and families, learners, health systems, and universities (including academic health centers) and colleges.

This year we are excited to introduce a new Track to the  Nexus Summit – Innovations in Interprofessional Collaborative Practice. The 7 posters, 8 interprofessional student posters, 18 lightning talks and clinical lightning talks, and 3 seminars in this track highlight innovations driven by practice, with the intent of achieving Quadruple Aim outcomes that matter to patients, families, health systems and the care team. Many of these innovations were driven by the urgent imperatives of the COVID-19 pandemic. Importantly, many also highlight the opportunities for new and expanded community-academic and health system-academic partnerships in the Nexus of practice and education. These interventions are driving workplace learning that is mutually beneficial today and is better preparing the health workforce of tomorrow.

Learning Objectives:

By participating in the Innovations in Interprofessional Collaborative Practice track, you will be able to:

1. Understand how practice teams identify and address opportunities to increase interprofessional collaboration to improve outcomes.
2. Describe how the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated both in-person and virtual practice and education transformation to serve patients and communities.
3. Discuss how community-academic and practice-academic partnerships can advance workplace learning in the Nexus of practice and education to achieve outcomes that matter.

Reflective Questions:

1. To what extent is interprofessional learning taking place in practice as described in the presentations? How are those involved (e.g., health professionals/ teams, learners, academic partners) learning “with, about, and from” each other? How could interprofessional collaboration be enhanced?
2. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to dominate and disrupt health care and how it is delivered, including the composition of teams, care by telehealth, and how teams work together. What changes are taking place? What is the impact of external forces on interprofessional care teams and how they work and learn together? What is hindering or helping interprofessional teams today as a result? How can workplace learning take place today and in the future to optimize resilience and better prepare teams for such “disruptions”?
3. What are interprofessional continuing professional development strategies to support teams? How are health and wellness of health professionals addressed?
4. How can community-academic and practice-academic partnerships be fostered that are mutually beneficial for individuals, families, communities, health systems and learners? What are opportunities for academic partners to bring value to practice?
5. Recognizing that the pandemic has put tremendous focus on the healthcare workforce and the work environment, how can we utilize models like these to address workforce needs and achieve the Quadruple Aim?

Resources:

• Baerheim, B. & Raaheim, A. (2020) Pedagogical aspects of interprofessional workplace learning: a case study, Journal of Interprofessional Care, 34:1, 59-65, DOI: 10.1080/13561820.2019.1621805
• Bodenheimer, T., & Sinsky, C. (2014). From Triple to Quadruple Aim: Care of the patient requires care of the provider. Annals of Family Medicine, 12(6), 573–576. https://doi.org/10.1370/afm.1713
• Earnest, M., & Brandt, B. F. (2014). Aligning practice redesign and interprofessional education to advance triple aim outcomes. Journal of Interprofessional Care, 28(6): 497-500. doi: 10.3109/13561820.2014.933650.
• Miller, R, Combes, G., Brown, H, and Harwood, A. (2014). Interprofessional Workplace Learning: A Catalyst for Strategic Change? Journal of Interprofessional Care. 28:3, 186-93. doi: 10.3109/13561820.2013.877428.
• National Collaborative for Improving the Clinical Learning Environment. (2020) Interprofessional Clinical Learning Environment Workshop Report. Chicago, IL: NCICLE. https://storage.googleapis.com/wzukusers/user-27661272/documents/64150386d16647ed818a650b79fda0d1/Initial%20Layout%20NCICLE%20Workshop%20v4.2.pdf.
• Nisbet, G., Lincoln, M. & Dunn, S. (2013) Informal interprofessional learning: an untapped opportunity for learning and change within the workplace, Journal of Interprofessional Care, 27:6, 469-475, DOI: 10.3109/13561820.2013.805735