Engine or boat anchor? The health professional training establishment in HHR innovation

Abstract

Educational institutions have largely failed to provide innovative responses to emerging health human resources (HHR) needs. Reasons include the prevailing ratio policy, which simply increases the supply of professionals; university funding protocols; a guild structure that isolates health professions rather than integrating them; and current credentialing for entry to practice, which both controls and further balkanizes the professions. Providing integrated health services will require (a) embedding interprofessional education and collaborative practice in accreditation requirements, (b) coordinating educational programs via intergovernmental committees and (c) embedding interprofessional collaborative learning in clinical training.