Evolution and Current Practice of Interprofessional Education (IPE): A Review

Purpose of Review Review the current literature involving the evolution and practice of interprofessional education (IPE). Research has shown that while there are many positive student experiences from interprofessional education, there is a paucity of data on patient outcomes in healthcare systems utilizing this approach. Implementation of new competencies developed through the Interprofessional Education Collaborative promises enhanced curricular alignment across medical disciplines and improved metrics to assess educational and patient outcomes. IPE has evolved greatly and has become widely accepted as a way to improve patient care through the alignment of educational competencies across collaborating disciplines. However, there remain barriers to implementation in many of the participating professions as well as insufficient research to assess the efficacy. Future research could include examining in which setting IPE has the best efficacy and, in turn, better patient outcomes. Financial outcomes would be another avenue to explore. However, an aligned curriculum for IPE needs to be developed so adequate data can be obtained to assess accurate health outcomes from IPE.