FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is interprofessional professionalism?
The working group endorsed aspects of D. Stern’s definition of professionalism. The phrase “…aspiring to and wisely applying principles of…” best encapsulated the collective nuance of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. In this spirit, everyone involved in the patient care plan deliberately advances the value and contributions. The IPC defines interprofessional professionalism as "Consistent demonstration of core values evidenced by professionals working together, aspiring to and wisely applying principles of*, altruism, excellence, caring, ethics, respect, communication, accountability to achieve optimal health and wellness in individuals and communities."
*Stern DT. Measuring Medical Professionalism. Oxford University Press. New York, NY;2006:19.
What is the purpose of the Interprofessional Professionalism Collaborative (IPC)?
In March 2006, the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) Board of Directors approved an exploration of the measurement of interprofessional professionalism with other doctoral professions. The purpose of the IPC is the development of resources for a toolkit, including a valid and reliable assessment tool for interprofessional professionalism behaviors, list of references, and related educational resources available for use by educators across all health professions.
What was the rationale for the selection of the participating organizations?
In 2006, with leadership of APTA, eight health care associations and one health care assessment organization agreed to collaborate in this endeavor. At that time, it was decided that it would be important to start the process with groups having the commonality of being associated with clinical doctoral professional programs. Additionally, keeping the size of the group manageable to be productive and functional was considered. Two other associations (Optometry, Veterinary Medicine) with a clinical doctoral professional program joined after the initial group had begun the collaboration. It is important to note that other health professions were identified by the group that should be involved in the future and several other professions were invited to join the group; however, were unable to do so. It is also important to note that since 2006, input was solicited and received from health professions other than clinical doctoral professions.
How is interprofessional professionalism different from professionalism?
Expectations and intended outcomes for team care delivery, particularly in task or procedure specific setting, is fairly well documented with relatively explicit assigned roles. Similarly, all health professionals have discipline specific professional standards of conduct and ethical codes. Regulatory and oversight agencies have documentation and information sharing standards. However, much of this is unilateral at the individual professional level of required demonstration of due diligence. With rapid evolution and reform in the healthcare delivery setting, financing system, and healthcare workforce composition, students and educators need an educational framework that encompasses the dynamic interaction involved in providing inclusive patient care.
How does interprofessional professionalism measurement differ from teamwork evaluation?
Teamwork evaluation is a broader concept than interprofessional professionalism measurement. There are a number of tools available for assessing team performance. For example, Team Health Check is a simple tool with questions that explores purpose/direction, team leadership, understanding differences, processes, communication, and relationships. Measuring interprofessional professionalism will focus more on the consistent demonstration of core values evidenced by professionals working together.
How will this change the culture of education?
Health professions education has been struggling to identify what interprofessional professionalism is and how it can be identified. It is believed that this collaboration, by providing a definition of and a vision for interprofessional professionalism along with a measurement tool, will promote a culture which values, fosters, and respects both individual competence and interprofessional collaboration. Additionally, quality healthcare will be enhanced as improvement in the practice and academic environments occur.
How is effective interprofessional professionalism expected to change practice?
Interprofessional professionalism elements, as demonstrated in the practice setting, mean that health professionals will not place the burden of coordinating and distilling health information on the patient. Instead health professionals will engage those involved in care to understand the intention of the treatment approach and ensure that his or her contribution optimizes the intended outcome overall.
Can I use the list of behaviors on the IPC website?
Yes. The list of interprofessional professionalism behaviors on the IPC website represents a work in-progress and will continue to be refined based on feedback as the IPC moves forward in the development of an interprofessional professionalism assessment. When you use this evolving list of behaviors in your local institution or practice, please cite the Interprofessional Professionalism Collaborative as the source and Contact Us to let us know how you are using them.
How can the list of behaviors be used for discussion, curriculum development, faculty development, or expectations of students?
The products of this collaboration, the definition of interprofessional professionalism, description of observable behaviors, resources and references, development of interprofessional professionalism assessment measures, and educational resources will provide many avenues of use. It is anticipated that in educational situations discussion among students, faculty and staff, and changes in professional curricula may occur. Faculty, practitioners, and students have been seeking guidelines and expectations for interprofessional professionalism. We hope that these will enhance the quality of healthcare that patients will receive.
Is the list of behaviors finalized?
NO. The current list of behaviors will continue to evolve based on feedback received during a content expert review panel process and a pilot study for the interprofessional professionalism assessment (IPA) tool in 2011. The behaviors will be further refined to ensure each is unique, concise, and observable.
What are the products available to date?
As of September 2010, IPC has published on its Web site a vision, definition, a set of observable behaviors relative to interprofessional professionalism, and references. Additional resources and products will be available in 2011.
How can I contribute?
You can contribute to the IPC’s work in numerous ways:
What are the future plans of the IPC?
The IPC has identified three key initiatives:
The IPC is currently focused on the development of an interprofessional professionalism assessment (IPA) tool that targets new (entry-level) healthcare practitioners. The tool will be reviewed by a content expert panel before it is piloted in 2011 by academic institutions and/or healthcare organizations that supervise students from different health professions and engages them in interprofessional educational or practice experiences. Once the results of the pilot are assessed, the IPA will further refine the assessment and the results submitted for publication.
The IPC is also developing a set of manuscripts for submission to related journals that will further describe its methodology for the development of the behaviors and the IPA tool.
The working group endorsed aspects of D. Stern’s definition of professionalism. The phrase “…aspiring to and wisely applying principles of…” best encapsulated the collective nuance of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. In this spirit, everyone involved in the patient care plan deliberately advances the value and contributions. The IPC defines interprofessional professionalism as "Consistent demonstration of core values evidenced by professionals working together, aspiring to and wisely applying principles of*, altruism, excellence, caring, ethics, respect, communication, accountability to achieve optimal health and wellness in individuals and communities."
*Stern DT. Measuring Medical Professionalism. Oxford University Press. New York, NY;2006:19.
What is the purpose of the Interprofessional Professionalism Collaborative (IPC)?
In March 2006, the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) Board of Directors approved an exploration of the measurement of interprofessional professionalism with other doctoral professions. The purpose of the IPC is the development of resources for a toolkit, including a valid and reliable assessment tool for interprofessional professionalism behaviors, list of references, and related educational resources available for use by educators across all health professions.
What was the rationale for the selection of the participating organizations?
In 2006, with leadership of APTA, eight health care associations and one health care assessment organization agreed to collaborate in this endeavor. At that time, it was decided that it would be important to start the process with groups having the commonality of being associated with clinical doctoral professional programs. Additionally, keeping the size of the group manageable to be productive and functional was considered. Two other associations (Optometry, Veterinary Medicine) with a clinical doctoral professional program joined after the initial group had begun the collaboration. It is important to note that other health professions were identified by the group that should be involved in the future and several other professions were invited to join the group; however, were unable to do so. It is also important to note that since 2006, input was solicited and received from health professions other than clinical doctoral professions.
How is interprofessional professionalism different from professionalism?
Expectations and intended outcomes for team care delivery, particularly in task or procedure specific setting, is fairly well documented with relatively explicit assigned roles. Similarly, all health professionals have discipline specific professional standards of conduct and ethical codes. Regulatory and oversight agencies have documentation and information sharing standards. However, much of this is unilateral at the individual professional level of required demonstration of due diligence. With rapid evolution and reform in the healthcare delivery setting, financing system, and healthcare workforce composition, students and educators need an educational framework that encompasses the dynamic interaction involved in providing inclusive patient care.
- Professionalism speaks to the values and expectations inculcated in the individual.
- Interprofessional professionalism considers the reciprocal collaborative elements at work in a holistic patient-centered model of care, where not only each individual must execute his or her particular role, but all involved need to function as a comprehensive unit to ensure information, expertise, and iterative improvement advance the quality and safety experience of the patient and the system in which care is developed and delivered.
How does interprofessional professionalism measurement differ from teamwork evaluation?
Teamwork evaluation is a broader concept than interprofessional professionalism measurement. There are a number of tools available for assessing team performance. For example, Team Health Check is a simple tool with questions that explores purpose/direction, team leadership, understanding differences, processes, communication, and relationships. Measuring interprofessional professionalism will focus more on the consistent demonstration of core values evidenced by professionals working together.
How will this change the culture of education?
Health professions education has been struggling to identify what interprofessional professionalism is and how it can be identified. It is believed that this collaboration, by providing a definition of and a vision for interprofessional professionalism along with a measurement tool, will promote a culture which values, fosters, and respects both individual competence and interprofessional collaboration. Additionally, quality healthcare will be enhanced as improvement in the practice and academic environments occur.
How is effective interprofessional professionalism expected to change practice?
Interprofessional professionalism elements, as demonstrated in the practice setting, mean that health professionals will not place the burden of coordinating and distilling health information on the patient. Instead health professionals will engage those involved in care to understand the intention of the treatment approach and ensure that his or her contribution optimizes the intended outcome overall.
Can I use the list of behaviors on the IPC website?
Yes. The list of interprofessional professionalism behaviors on the IPC website represents a work in-progress and will continue to be refined based on feedback as the IPC moves forward in the development of an interprofessional professionalism assessment. When you use this evolving list of behaviors in your local institution or practice, please cite the Interprofessional Professionalism Collaborative as the source and Contact Us to let us know how you are using them.
How can the list of behaviors be used for discussion, curriculum development, faculty development, or expectations of students?
The products of this collaboration, the definition of interprofessional professionalism, description of observable behaviors, resources and references, development of interprofessional professionalism assessment measures, and educational resources will provide many avenues of use. It is anticipated that in educational situations discussion among students, faculty and staff, and changes in professional curricula may occur. Faculty, practitioners, and students have been seeking guidelines and expectations for interprofessional professionalism. We hope that these will enhance the quality of healthcare that patients will receive.
Is the list of behaviors finalized?
NO. The current list of behaviors will continue to evolve based on feedback received during a content expert review panel process and a pilot study for the interprofessional professionalism assessment (IPA) tool in 2011. The behaviors will be further refined to ensure each is unique, concise, and observable.
What are the products available to date?
As of September 2010, IPC has published on its Web site a vision, definition, a set of observable behaviors relative to interprofessional professionalism, and references. Additional resources and products will be available in 2011.
How can I contribute?
You can contribute to the IPC’s work in numerous ways:
- Submit your feedback on the current list of behaviors.
- Share best practices for integrating interprofessional professionalism into teaching and practice.
- Send additional resources or references.
- Identify other experts and organizations who should be involved.
- Share your experiences in using the current list of behaviors in your practice or academic institution.
- If your organization takes students from different health professions and engages them in interprofessional educational or practice experiences during their final clinical internships/experiences/practicuums, volunteer to serve as a site for the pilot study.
- Share IPC’s website and resources with your colleagues.
- Demonstrate interprofessional professionalism in your practice or educational setting.
- Encourage your students and colleagues to demonstrate interprofessional professionalism.
What are the future plans of the IPC?
The IPC has identified three key initiatives:
- further refinement of interprofessional professionalism behaviors,
- development of a toolkit of resources related to interprofessional professionalism, and
- evaluation of empirical support for interprofessional professionalism and its measure(s).
The IPC is currently focused on the development of an interprofessional professionalism assessment (IPA) tool that targets new (entry-level) healthcare practitioners. The tool will be reviewed by a content expert panel before it is piloted in 2011 by academic institutions and/or healthcare organizations that supervise students from different health professions and engages them in interprofessional educational or practice experiences. Once the results of the pilot are assessed, the IPA will further refine the assessment and the results submitted for publication.
The IPC is also developing a set of manuscripts for submission to related journals that will further describe its methodology for the development of the behaviors and the IPA tool.
