Interprofessional Education (IPE): Introduction to IPE

This guide contains resources about interprofessional education (IPE), including information about searching for publications on IPE, publishing your own work on IPE, and various trainings and conferences you can attend to learn more about IPE. Most of the resources are freely accessible, but some require a UNC ONYEN login. Contact the library’s representative to the OIPEP, Rebecca Carlson, with any questions about the guide or the resources. 

Interprofessional Education (IPE) or Interpofessional Education and Practice (IPEP) is when students or healthcare professionals from different disciplines work together on health care problems.

From the World Health Organization (WHO): “Interprofessional education occurs when students from two or more professions learn about, from, and with each other to enable effective collaboration and improve health outcomes. Once students understand how to work interprofessionally, they are ready to enter the workplace as a member of the collaborative practice team. This is a key step in moving health systems from fragmentation to a position of strength.” World Health Organization (WHO). (2010). Framework for action on interprofessional education & collaborative practice. Geneva: World Health Organization.

The UNC Adams School of Dentistry has a brief video explaining IPEP and its benefits for both practitioners and patients:

For more information about IPEP, see Amina in the Nexus and the Medscape Introduction to Interprofessional Collaboration.

Amina in the Nexus
Amina in the Nexus shares the National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education’s vision for health care delivery in the United States. Through Amina’s story, individuals see the potential of the Nexus to align health care redesign and interprofessional education to achieve the Triple Aim of improving the patient experience of care, improving the health of populations and reducing the per capita cost of health care.

Interprofessional Collaboration to Improve Health Care: An Introduction
Introduction to Interprofessional Collaboration from Medscape, part of WebMD

UNC has an Office of Interprofessional Education and Practice (OIPEP). OIPEP integrates IPE into the UNC curriculum. It has various programs for students, including the Distinguished Scholars Program, the Student Health Action Coalition, and the Student Executive Committee. It also collects resources related to IPE. They are a great group to contact with ideas related to IPE at UNC.