A longitudinal survey on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on interprofessional education and collaborative practice: a study protocol.

ABSTRACT

Since the World Health Organisation declaration of COVID-19 as a global pandemic in early March 2020, the virus has been linked with serious illness, death, and social disruption around the world. The scope of the outbreak is rapidly evolving and ever changing. Many countries, cities and towns declared major closures and issued shelter-in-place orders. While phased re-opening is now occuring in many countries, the impact of the pandemic has been unprecedented. It is widely accepted that healthcare education and practice, including interprofessional education and collaborative practice, has been and will continue to be affected in profound ways. However, the severity and extent of the impact is yet to be determined and is likely to vary internationally. The study protocol reported here is a first attempt to systematically capture observations, experiences, and reflections globally with a view to identifying priorities for interprofessional education and collaborative practice research and development in the years to come, as well as inform future pandemic preparedness.