Tips for designing interprofessional education courses in healthcare

As healthcare systems evolve to meet ever more complex challenges, the key to success lies not just in individual expertise but in collaboration. Failures in multidisciplinary teamwork have often led to compromised patient care and avoidable errors, leading to diminished trust in healthcare systems. 

For example, a lack of communication between healthcare teams in respiratory care once jeopardised the continuity of patient management. However, when a well-coordinated team of physicians, nurses and respiratory therapists followed structured protocols, patient outcomes vastly improved, demonstrating the life-saving potential of effective collaboration.

Yet, teamwork does not come naturally – it must be taught and practised for it to become effective. In healthcare, interprofessional education (IPE) trains students from various allied health professions to collaborate on patient-centred care. Up to 70 per cent of healthcare professionals felt unprepared for the multidisciplinary demands of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a 2020 global survey. This highlights the urgent need to make interprofessional practice a core part of healthcare education.

Often, IPE in healthcare is introduced too late, during the clinical clerkship phase in the third year. Teaching in silos during the first two years fosters misconceptions about roles and responsibilities, making the late IPE integration less effective. I propose an early introduction of IPE courses in the first year of healthcare colleges. I personally experienced IPE during an interprofessional communication skills course conducted in the early years of medical and nursing programmes, and it was invaluable for developing the skills I needed. Here are my tips to design a foundational IPE course in healthcare education:

The design of foundational IPE course

Foundational IPE courses can teach the competencies of effective communication: mutual respect; roles and responsibilities and the common goal of best patient outcome, through case-based activities in classrooms.

• What a transdisciplinary lens brings to university teaching
• Interdisciplinarity makes us greater than the sum of our parts
• The challenges of creating a multidisciplinary research centre and how to overcome them

Structured courses on effective communication are essential for bridging gaps between healthcare professionals. For example, while doctors may rely on written notes, nurses often depend on verbal handovers for clarity – nuances that must be taught and practised. Through these sessions, I saw trust build organically as we learned to critique one another constructively, without taking things personally. Feedback mechanisms taught us not just how to give feedback but also how to receive it and act upon it – crucial for personal growth.

Teaching methods that can be used in this course include: 

Panel discussion

One of the most transformative experiences I had during my education involved a panel discussion where a nurse, a medical student and a pharmacy trainee sat together, hashing out the best communication strategies for patient care. It was here that I learned a simple truth: communication is not one-size-fits-all. 

Case-based learning (CBL)

CBL is a linchpin of interdisciplinary education, demonstrating its impact when solving a real-world problem alongside peers from different fields. It might seem that first-year students will not be capable of CBL as they are not yet well versed in pathophysiology. Yet, many familiar conditions like a penicillin allergy, Covid, a normal birth or even asthma can serve as cases for teaching IPE in foundational courses.

Master adaptive learner framework (MAL)

One framework that stood out during these sessions was the master adaptive learner (MAL) framework, a model designed to guide teams through complex scenarios while fostering critical thinking, adaptability and teamwork. The process began with Activation, where each discipline approached the problem from its perspective – medical students focused on treatment, nurses on patient care and physiotherapists on mobility. In the Action phase, we combined these perspectives into a unified plan. Reflection was key, as we analysed our teamwork and identified ways to improve collaboration. Finally, Exploration prepared us to anticipate and address future challenges. This approach isn’t just theoretical – it’s deeply practical.

Team-based projects

Team-based projects enable interdisciplinary teaching by promoting meaningful problem-solving. For example, in a Taiwanese study, nursing and design students collaborated to create patentable healthcare products, requiring continuous communication and adaptability. 

A similar experience shaped my understanding during the course project where our team of medical students designed a sustainable incubator, collaborating with paediatricians, nurses and respiratory technicians. This project demanded more than knowledge – it required communication, respect and adaptability.

Its success lay in key lessons: stepping outside one’s discipline, valuing dialogue, mutual respect, and leveraging diverse perspectives to solve complex challenges and teamwork. 

Integrating interdisciplinary education into existing programmes may seem challenging, but a few actionable steps can simplify the process:

• Role models: Healthcare educators should themselves collaborate authentically to set an example for students. Nothing is more impactful than embodying the core competencies of interprofessional practice through real-life application.
• Faculty training: Workshops to train faculty on core competencies of interprofessional practice (eg, IPEC Core Competencies) and on how to teach those competencies with CBL, and simulation activities.
• Leverage technology: Tools like simulation software and AI-driven virtual cases can enhance interdisciplinary scenarios.
• Continuous evaluation: Regular feedback from all stakeholders ensures programmes remain relevant and effective.

The future of healthcare demands more than just expertise. It requires the ability of all healthcare professionals to collaborate, innovate and adapt in ways that transform patient care. The question isn’t whether we should embrace interdisciplinary teaching, it’s how quickly we can make it the foundation of healthcare education, because the future is already knocking at our door.

Hajer N. Sheikh is a lecturer and Umamah Rehman is a second-year medical student at Dubai Medical College for Girls.

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