Practice educators' perceptions of interprofessional education and issues surrounding its implementation in the clinical placement setting

Background: IPE occurs when two or more professions learn with, from and about each other to improve collaboration and care (CAIPE 2002) It is being increasingly considered as part of undergraduate health professional training (Hammick et al 2007). Much of the existing literature centres on IPE post-registration, in academic settings and on students' perceptions of IPE. To date, there has not been a study on Irish practice educators' perceptions of IPE. Objectives: To investigate practice educators' views in regards to implementing IPE in a placement setting and discover what they perceive to be barriers and facilitators to its implementation. Methods: Four focus groups were conducted including sixteen practice educators from physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech and language therapy working in various settings. Groups were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data was coded and a thematic analysis performed (Krueger and Casey 2000). Findings: Three main themes emerged: (i) perceptions, (ii) issues surrounding planning and resources available and (iii) outcomes. Participants had good awareness and positive perceptions of IPE. They felt that negative attitudes of some health professionals could be a barrier. Planning issues such as placement timing, student assessment, caseload, local and university support were frequently mentioned as things requiring consideration for successful IPE. Improved teamwork, knowledge and patient care were recognised as the main outcomes of IPE. Conclusions: IPE has potential benefits but requires planning and coordination. Findings may be useful for organising clinical placements. Further research is required to investigate if these can be replicated on larger scales.