Interprofessional competencies in the curriculum: Interpretations of educators from five health professions

Abstract

Interprofessional (IP) practice embraces a range of collaborations among health professionals that includes referral networks, case management, and simultaneous co-management models of healthcare. How IP competencies are interpreted and enacted in the curriculum falls to health educators. The aim of this research was to examine health educators interpretations of IP competencies in five health professions (chiropractic, naturopathy, osteopathy, physiotherapy, and podiatry) in Australia. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six educators. Transcripts were analysed using constant comparison to identify emergent themes. A number of interpretations of IP practice were evident (e.g. knowing professional scopes of practice and when to refer, and co-assessing and co-managing patients). Lack of resources limited IP practice enactment in the curriculum, including complementary medicine participation in IP teams.