MN7181- Inter-professional learning for a better health care

Inter-professional learning  for a better health care

The organizational leaning defined by Easterby-Smith and Arturo (1999) as an “Efficient procedure to process, interpret and respond to both internal and external information of a predominantly explicit nature” ( Armstrong, 2006). It’s objective in health care is to implement best practice with best interest of the patient. 

Team based shared care is the modern trend in the health care in the commitment to achieve the best possible care for the patients which is a common goal. The appreciation of contribution of each other with the understanding of strengths and limitations and willing to accept the equal status would be cornerstones of flourishing team effort. In patient care learning to work as a team member requires development of skills of collaboration without crossing the professional boundaries and negotiation without exposing personal limitations. Therefore inter-professional learning has emerged as immensely important more than ever before  obviously as those who work together should be provided with opportunities to learn together. 

The interprofessional learning activities involve two professional groups. It is an endevour to development of shared knowledge to explore issues and managing problems for a better care. Majority of the cases it is practiced after qualifying. However it is also practiced increasingly in the undergraduate level. The method should be problem based to enhance the critical thinking and encourage discussion between the two professional groups( Parnell & Bligh, 1998).The goal of the inter-professional leaning should be; 

1. Improvement of the mutual understanding of the roles and responsibilities of the profession.
2. Supporting the skills necessary for the Efficient Team Effort
3. Development of knowledge base necessary in the relevant topic.

There is considerable increasing support for inter-professional learning from various professional bodies responsible for medical education. Though this was initially conceptualized for post graduate or post qualified professionals, it has been extended to the undergraduate level effectively with following objectives ( Mourtray et al., 2003).

1. The Future doctors should learn together to work together.
2. They should develop  the knowledge, understanding and skills to promote health in a particular problem
3. They should improve the  awareness of personal limitations and willingness to work collaboratively as a team.
4. They should acquire communication skills to work as team with negotiation. 

However there are many barriers for the practice of inter-professional leaning in post graduate and undergraduate courses due to the curriculum structure and design, time constraints, lack of senior management support,Financial and logistic constraints, Technical disparity in concepts and language,  lack of knowledge and understanding of other professions and unwillingness to change the attitude. However most of these could be alleviated by strategic approach for a change (Gilbert, 2005)

1. By making changes in the course structure with senior management support.
2. By active involvement of the relevant department of the learning needs.
3. By allocating extra funding, resourcing and staff development
4. By logistic arrangements to accommodate small groups 
5. By structuring the subject matter in a problem oriented matter rich in updated useful knowledge content.   
6. By involving tutors who are role models of inter-professional collaboration.
7. By constructive evaluation of the programme  for the educational, institutional and cultural objectives.

In conclusion although there are many challenges to overcome in practicing the shared learning, it  would be of paramount  importance to improve the holistic care of the patient perpetually. The modern knowledge has to be shared and practiced regularly with inter-professional learning to prevent the erosion of knowledge and skills necessary to keep the forever changing evidence based best practice in and establishment. 

References

1. Michael Armstrong M (2006), Hand book of Human Resource management practice,10th edition, pp 534.
2. Parnell G &  Bligh J(1998), Interprofessional learning, Post graduate medical journal 74, pp 89-95.
3. Moutray M et al. (2003),Facilitating undergraduate interprofessional in Learning healthcare: Comparing classroom and clinical learning for nursing and medical students,Learning health and social care,pp 92-104.
4. Gilbert J H V (2005),Interprofessional learning and higher education structural barriers, Journal of interprofessional care 19(1), pp 87-106.