Exploring an IPE faculty development program using the 3-P model

Abstract

IntroductionWhile interprofessional education (IPE) activities have expanded across clinical contextsand countries in the past decade, our empirical understanding of this form of education islimited by an over-reliance upon studies which continue to focus on short term learner-focused outcomes. As a result we have only a partial understanding of the attributes neededto become an effective interprofessional facilitator.Biggs (1993) argues that when evaluating programs, a singular focus on one sub-system ofeducation (e.g., learner, facilitator, teaching context) is overly simplistic and ignores keyelements in the learning process. Systems-based approaches provide a better understandingabout how such factors, for example, presage (e.g., learner demographics, facilitatorexpertise, political climate) may affect the delivery of a program, which in turn may impactits outcomes.In this paper we describe the design of both a faculty development program created tosupport IPE facilitators and a longitudinal systems-based evaluation. Emerging findingsfrom the quantitative data set are presented and discussed.BackgroundThe purpose of this IPE faculty development program was to enlarge the cohort offacilitators at a Canadian university and affiliated teaching hospitals who could then go on toeffectively design and deliver IPE initiatives. The program adopted a blended learning