ABSTRACT
Interprofessional research has made substantive progress in Brazil over the past decade, in line with globalization and the worldwide expansion of university international relationships. This sustained growth of interprofessional research in many other countries around the world has been increasingly reported in the literature. Interprofessional international research involves interactions and exchanges between researchers from different countries with different professional and disciplinary backgrounds who collaborate to undertake scholarly work. The benefits of interprofessional international research are many and varied. In this paper, we explore the opportunities and challenges related to interprofessional international research collaboration while reflecting on our personal experiences of a study focused on interprofessional collaboration in primary care which spanned two countries - Brazil and UK. A key element in our international research has been regular discussion, negotiation, and agreement. Collectively, these elements have helped to ensure that our international empirical work can be sustained.
Subject(s)
Cooperative Behavior , Interprofessional Relations , Humans , Negotiating , Primary Health Care , Research PersonnelABSTRACT
Primary care can provide a supportive context for the development of interprofessional collaborative practice owing to its nature and dynamics. In Brazil, a number of practice changes have already occurred to primary care, notably the implementation of the Family Health Strategy which promoted interprofessional collaboration (IPC). In Brasilia, a new arrangement was implemented in 2016 that focused on an expansion of primary healthcare. However, it is not clear how these reforms will affect the nature of IPC or the delivery of patient care. The article presents a study protocol which describes a study that aims to explore the nature of IPC in the context of primary care in the Western Health Region of Brasilia. A sequential mixed methods design will be used to gather both quantitative and qualitative data. Initially, we will translate, cross-culturally adapt, and validate an IPC scale for a survey of primary care teams. We will then undertake a series of focus groups with a purposeful sample of team members to explore the results from the survey. Quantitative data will be analysed with descriptive and multivariate statistics. A content analysis will be undertaken with the focus group data. We expect that the results will illuminate a range of elements linked to IPC in primary care as well as identify areas for improving IPC skills, patient safety, quality of care, and healthcare outcomes in this clinical context.
Subject(s)
Cooperative Behavior , Interprofessional Relations , Patient Care Team/organization & administration , Primary Health Care/organization & administration , Research Design , Attitude of Health Personnel , Brazil , Cultural Competency , Humans , Reproducibility of ResultsABSTRACT
The National Curricular Guidelines (NCGs) are important documents for understanding the history of academic health professions education in Brazil. Key policies within the NCGs have helped to reorient health professions education and have stimulated curricular changes, including active learning methodologies and more integrated teaching-service environments, and, more recently, have introduced interprofessional education (IPE) in both undergraduate and postgraduate sectors. This article presents the findings of a study that examined the NCGs for nursing, dentistry, and medicine courses as juridical foundations for adopting strategies that promote IPE across higher education institutions in Brazil. We employed a comparative and exploratory documentary analysis to understand the role of IPE and collaborative practices in NCGs for the three largest professions in Brazil. Following a thematic analysis of these texts, four key themes emerged: faculty development; competencies for teamwork; curricular structure; and learning metrics. Key findings related to each of these themes are presented and discussed in relation to the wider interprofessional literature. The article goes on to argue that the statements contained in the NCGs about adoption of IPE and collaborative practices will have an important influence in shaping the future of health professions education in Brazil.
Subject(s)
Cooperative Behavior , Curriculum/standards , Health Personnel/education , Interprofessional Relations , Brazil , Education, Dental/standards , Education, Medical/standards , Education, Nursing/standards , Faculty/education , Humans , Patient Care Team , Problem-Based Learning , Professional Competence , Staff Development/organization & administration , Teaching/organization & administrationABSTRACT
Interprofessional education (IPE) is an activity that involves two or more professions who learn interactively together to improve collaboration and the quality of care. Research has continually revealed that health and social care professionals encounter a range of problems with interprofessional coordination and collaboration which impact on the quality and safety of care. This empirical work resulted in policymakers across health care education and practice to invest in IPE to help resolve this collaborative failures. It is anticipated that IPE will provide health and social care professionals with the abilities required to work together effectively in providing safe high quality care to patients. Through a discussion of a range of key professional, educational and organization issues related to IPE, this paper argues that this form of education is an important strategy to improve the delivery of safe and effective care...
La educación interprofesional (IPE) es una actividad que implica dos o más profesiones que aprenden de manera interactiva, en conjunto, para mejorar la colaboración y la calidad del cuidado. La investigación ha revelado continuamente que los profesionales de salud y cuidado social encontran una gama de problemas con coordinación interprofesional y colaboración que afectan a la calidad y seguridad de la atención. Este trabajo empírico a resultado en políticas a través de la educación e y la prácica en salud para investir en IPE e ayudar a resolver estes fracasos de colaboración. IPE proporcionará profesionales de salud y atención social con las habilidades para trabajar juntos de manera efectiva para proporcionar atención segura de alta calidad a los pacientes. A través de una discusión de una gama de cuestiones profesionales, educativas y de organización relacionadas con IPE, este documento sostiene que este tipo de educación es una importante estrategia para mejorar la prestación de una atención segura y eficaz...
A educação interprofissional (EIP) é uma atividade que envolve dois ou mais profissionais que aprendem juntos de modo interativo para melhorar a colaboração e qualidade da atenção à saúde. Pesquisas vêm revelando continuamente que profissionais de saúde e serviço social enfrentam uma série de problemas na coordenação e colaboração interprofissional que impactam na qualidade e segurança da atenção. Estes estudos empíricos levaram formuladores de políticas de atenção e educação na saúde a investir em EIP para ajudar a enfrentar tais dificuldades colaborativas. Espera-se que a EIP possibilite a profissionais de saúde e serviço social as habilidades necessárias para trabalhar efetivamente juntos para garantir uma atenção de alta qualidade e com segurança para os pacientes. Ao discutir uma série de problemas profissionais, educacionais e organizacionais relacionados à EIP, o presente trabalho defende que esta forma de educação é uma estratégia importante para garantir uma atenção à saúde segura e eficaz...
Subject(s)
Humans , Health Education , Patient Care Team , Patient SafetyABSTRACT
Interprofessional education (IPE) is an important issue to insert in the debate on the reform of the education of health professions in Brazil. This paper provides details on an emerging study, based in Brazil, whose aim is to explore the use of IPE as a strategy to reform health professional education to become more collaborative in nature. The study has adopted a sequential mixed-methods approach, and will conduct focus groups, individual interviews and surveys with students, teachers and administrators based in two universities. Initial findings have indicated that, at present, participants were not aware of systematic strategies to bring students from different courses together for IPE, which has created problems for the development of knowledge and skills for collaborative work. Further data will be gathered to expand this analysis. Nevertheless, there is already clear evidence that there is a need to integrate and strengthen the use of IPE in Brazil, as a key route forward to strengthening the process of reorientation training of health professionals.