Interprofessional education occurs when students from two or more professions learn about, from and with each other to enable effective collaboration and improve health outcomes” – World Health Organization, 2010.

For UAMS, IPE means that our future healthcare professionals from all five colleges (medicine, pharmacy, nursing, health professions, public health) and our graduate school learn and interact together to prepare them for a team approach in a collaborative practice and team science environment across our research and clinical delivery systems.

The traditional model of health care education and practice was housed within respective “silos”. These silos present barriers to collaboration. Improving research and clinical outcomes are dependent on teams from various professions. If an individual from respective professions do not understand the roles and responsibilities, values and ethics, effective communication, or teamwork across professions, the ability to improve outcomes through collaboration is made much more difficult. IPE ensures that our learners are being properly prepared for a collaborative practice ready workforce to help transform the future of health care.

Since its inception UAMS has been dedicated to educating future healthcare professionals. As with most academic medical centers IPE has lived in pockets of our organization for some time within our education, research and collaborative practice delivery systems. In 2012, UAMS took a more structured approach to IPE, by developing an office that could focus on meeting the Quadruple Aim. The office of IPE developed an infrastructure that expands and supports IPE throughout UAMS. This includes a five pillar approach; Curriculum, Research/Scholarship, Collaborative Practice, Faculty Development and Development. These pillars are built to have institutional perspective and influence in creating, designing, implementing and evaluating models, programs and activities that support the UAMS mission.

IPE is more than a campus initiative, it’s a model to transform all aspects of health care not only at UAMS, but the region and the nation in effect it’s a culture change.

Nationally there is a movement to increase teamwork, improve patient safety and reduce the cost of care. With the implementation of the affordable care act (ACA) the need for comprehensive, efficient and effective health care is essential. IPE is the model that will teach and encourage future and current health care professionals to collaborate together coordinated approaches to patient care, research and education.

If you are interested in submitting  an IPE Quadruple Aim Project Proposal for student curriculum, please visit our Quadruple Aim Project submission page.

The IPE curriculum began for incoming novice learners fall 2015. Each college has determined when a student is to start each phase and activity of the IPE curriculum. Curriculum elements were piloted first during the Spring of 2015 prior to official implementation. Learners from all colleges participated in each and every piloted curricular activity.

IPE/IPC is a methodology. As a methodology, it teaches and models collaboration. Collaboration is essential for professional success and satisfaction as it is based on building and maintaining trust and respect across all professions. Thus, IPE/ IPC will provide you with foundational knowledge to help you build successful collaborations throughout all facets of our institution from research, education, community outreach to clinical practice.

Having foundational knowledge in IPE/IPC will have a positive effect by opening the door to collaborations regardless of your discipline or profession and irrespective if you are primarily in education, practice, and/or research.

The Quadruple Aim IPE curriculum framework has been approved by UAMS’s five Colleges and the Graduate School. Students entering UAMS programs in fall 2015 will participate in Quadruple Aim curriculum activities as they are developed and implemented by the Office of Interprofessional Education, intercollegiate council, and governing curriculum bodies from each college.

The IPE curriculum will be taught in various dynamic formats. Formats can consist of workshops with Ted style talks, facilitated activities, simulation, group projects and practice activities.

Faculty support is needed to help deliver curriculum activities. Faculty will have an opportunity to bring their content expertise and have an even greater impact across learners from all colleges. Faculty contribution DOES NOT NEED TO BE over and above your current commitment.  We have built the curriculum in such a way that you can adapt your current work and embed interprofessional methodology in your current efforts.  The need ranges from speakers, facilitators, graders (review reflections), simulation debrief and faculty advisors for projects. Your participation will be shared with the Executive leadership of our institution. Promotion and tenure dossier’s can be enhanced through participation. If you are interested in participating as a faculty member please email: IPE@UAMS.edu.

Of course. The IPE Faculty Development Pillar Team is a dedicated group of interprofessional faculty working to continuously develop training opportunities to help our faculty gain foundational knowledge in IPE and provide additional training for other curriculum activities. IPE/ IPC is beneficial irrespective if you happen to primarily be a researcher, educator, and/or a clinician. After all, we all share the responsibility to model a culture of collaboration.

Participation at this time is not required. We do encourage faculty to participate in foundational knowledge training, as it will help build more collaborations across disciplines facilitating better research, education and clinical practice. Beginning 2016, an institutional benchmark will include the number of faculty that have received foundational training in interprofessional methodology.

CLICK HERE for the course drop form.

CLICK HERE to go to the movie night sign up page.

CLICK HERE to go to the Quadruple Aim Project information page.

CLICK HERE to go the the simulation Activity information page.

The time it takes to complete the IPE curriculum is dependent on the college and program that you are enrolled in. Each college has established the timing of when a student enters each of the three phases and seven activities.

The IPE curriculum has been approved by all five colleges and the graduate school. Depending on where a student falls within the curriculum you could collaborate with students from any of the colleges and the graduate school.

Having IPE foundational knowledge as a student will prepare you for interprofessional collaboration that is necessary in today’s health care landscape. Interprofessional Education and collaborative practice models support continuous interaction, coordinated efforts, and knowledge sharing among health care professionals allowing professional contributions to be valued equally and improving the continuity of care for our patients.

The IPE curriculum will begin for incoming novice learners fall 2015. Each college has determined when a student is to start each phase and activity of the IPE curriculum.

The IPE Curriculum consists of three phases with seven core activities. Each college has determined when students should participate and complete each phase of the IPE curriculum. You can find more information about individual College/Programs here.

If you were unable to attend a workshop session when your college intended you to please contact your program coordinator-advisor and email IPE@uams.edu so you can receive information regarding make-up sessions. A make-up session will be scheduled for the next semester based on need and will be posted on the IPE calendar.

Students should plan ahead and attend an activity for the entire time to receive credit. Leaving an activity early can be disruptive to your peers and facilitator and could result in not receiving credit for attending. If you have extenuating circumstances and must leave an activity early please notify the activity facilitator.

Evaluation data provides feedback to allow the Office of IPE to make continual improvements to learning activities to allow enriched learning experiences for future learners.

After graduation if you are interested in staying involved with IPE there are a number of ways to participate as an alum. Please contact the Office of IPE at IPE@UAMS.edu. Provide your contact information along with college and program.