Advancing Interprofessional Education in Switzerland

15:29 16 March in News
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In February, Dr. Maria Dolce was invited, as Visiting Scholar, to participate in an international dialogue on advancing interprofessional education at the Institute of Nursing Science (INS), University of Basel; University Hospital Basel; University Hospital Bern; and University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland.  Switzerland provided the perfect environment for reflection on the significance of collaboration to improve health for a global society.

Dr. Dolce accepted Dr. Sabina De Geest’s invitation to participate in an international dialogue on advancing interprofessional education (IPE); where productive exchanges of ideas with colleagues underscored the importance of connecting academia and healthcare practice. The influence of collaborative leadership and commitment to promoting interprofessional education, practice and research across these Swiss institutions were self-evident in the shared conversations.

Dr. Dolce’s journey began at the INS where she had the opportunity to discuss common challenges and opportunities in implementing IPE, particularly curriculum, faculty expertise, leadership, and resources.  Dr. De Geest’s influence on advancing IPE and collaboration at the INS was evidenced by significant generation of interdisciplinary scholarship in teaching, and faculty commitment to mentoring students at all levels. For example, Christa Müller-Fröhlich’s dissertation research in undergraduate education at the University Hospital Freiburg will undoubtedly contribute to advancing the state-of-the-science in IPE.  Before leaving Basel, Dr. Dolce visited with colleagues from Human Resources at the University Hospital Basel and shared best practices for advancing IPE in health systems.  Notably, their developing IPE practice-based model, which emphasizes leadership and teamwork, is an exemplar for improving healthcare quality and safety outcomes.

Dr. Dolce  continued on to the University Hospital Bern, where she participated in a symposium with esteemed colleagues, Drs. Michael Simon and Rene Schwendimann, from the INS; and Dr. Ulrich Woermann, from the Institute of Medical Education, University of Bern.  Dr. Woermann shared his experiences teaching medical and nursing students together; and Dr. Schendimann discussed IPE in the context of a culture of patient safety. Dr. Simon moderated the symposium and effectively engaged the interdisciplinary audience of clinicians in a lively discussion about IPE and collaborative practice.

The final stop of Dr. Dolce’s journey was the University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI), where Dr. Dolce had the honor of meeting Dr. Luca Crivelli, Head of the Department of Business Economics, Health and Social Care (DEASS).  His commitment to transform health professions education was inspiring.  Dr. Dolce was thrilled to participate in an IPE workshop hosted by Dr. Crivelli, which began with Professors Andrea Cavicchioli and Graziano Meli presenting a historical perspective of IPE at SUPSI.  Dr. De Geest concluded with a provocative narrative addressing the fantasy, vision and necessity of IPE in the health sciences.

Dr. Dolce’s presentations discussed the trajectory of IPE in the context of U.S. healthcare reform and the “Triple Aim” to: enhance the patient experience of care, improve individual and population health outcomes, and reduce healthcare costs. She described the experiential IPE curriculum at Northeastern University-Bouvé College of Health Sciences, and shared best practices for linking interprofessional practice and education.  Curricular innovations include: interprofessional, team-based simulations; longitudinal, clinical experiences in primary care and community-based settings; community-service learning experiences to address unmet health needs of vulnerable and underserved populations.

In summary, Dr. Dolce’s shared conversations with executives, faculty and students were elevating! Sabina De Geest and Luca Crivelli are leading change, creating possibilities for interdisciplinary collaborations, and connecting education and practice. Their collaborative leadership and shared vision will positively advance IPE to improve health for a global society.  The INS and SUPSI – DEASS are well positioned to lead the field of interprofessional education and forge innovative collaborations with partners in healthcare practice.

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