Capacity Building to Improve Interprofessional Collaboration through a Faculty Learning Community

Abstract

Though much has been written on Interprofessional Education (IPE) and Faculty Learning Communities (FLCs) independently, there is limited literature devoted to examining the use of FLCs to enhance IPE for the health professions. A FLC dedicated to building capacity for IPE in a small, private midwestern university comprised of faculty representing occupational therapy, physical therapy, nursing, public health, gerontology, medical anthropology, psychology, social work, and exercise science was conducted over the course of one semester. This article details the implementation process for the IPE FLC; describes outcomes related to teaching, scholarship, and service of faculty from a qualitative evaluation conducted 18 months after the completion of the FLC; and concludes with a discussion based on lessons learned from the process and experience of conducting an IPE FLC.