Integrating interprofessional education with needs-based health workforce planning to strengthen health systems

ABSTRACT

Providing quality health care is the core purpose for health systems, and it is only possible with adequate capacity among the workforce to provide the required services. Addressing the requirements for, and supply of, the health workforce (workforce planning) is essential for strengthening health systems. There is a global recognition that interprofessional education (IPE) is critical to achieving universal health care. In this introductory paper we discuss how IPE is a key factor within needs-based health systems strengthening and Human Resources for Health (HRH) planning. This perspective is illustrated through six case studies from countries around the globe which provide discourse on how the integration of IPE/IPC with needs-based workforce planning can contribute to strengthening the health systems. Three key learnings arise from the case studies – 1) IPE is important to meet health care needs of populations efficiently and effectively; 2) integrated needs-based planning provides a framework within which IPE has an integral role, and 3) stakeholders from both health and education are critical to the process of seamless integration of IPE across the continuum of health systems.

KEYWORDS:

• Needs-based HRH planning
• interprofessional education
• interprofessional care
• integration
• health systems strengthening

Declaration of interest statement

The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Notes

1. Throughout this paper we use the acronym IPE (“interprofessional education” as defined by the Centre for the Advancement of Interprofessional Education [CAIPE], 2019) to describe interprofessional education (IPE) as the beginning of a continuum of collaboration that spans interprofessional learning (IPL), and views IPE and IPL as continuously interwoven into interprofessional practice (IPP), and interprofessional care (IPC).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Gail Tomblin Murphy

Gail Tomblin Murphy, RN, PhD, is Vice-President, Research and Innovation at the Nova Scotia Health Authority, Halifax, Nova Scotia and the Director of the WHO/PAHO Collaborating Centre on Health Workforce Planning and Research at Dalhousie University. Dr. Tomblin Murphy is an internationally recognized expert in population needs-based approaches to health systems and workforce planning, evaluation and research. She leads and co-leads national and international research teams consisting of clinicians, health care leaders, senior policy-makers, and researchers from government, universities and health careorganizations and has been an Expert Advisor on health workforce to the World Health Organization and Pan American Health Organization since 2005

John HV Gilbert

John HV Gilbert, CM, PhD, LLD (Dalhousie), FCAHS is Professor Emeritus, College of Health Disciplines and School of Audiology and Speech Sciences at theUniversity of British Columbia, Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Graduate Studies, Dalhousie University, the DR. TMA PaiEndowment Chair in Interprofessional Education & Practice, Manipal University, Adjunct Professor, University of Technology, Sydney and a Senior Scholar with the WHO/PAHO Collaborating Centre on Health Workforce Planning & Research, Dalhousie University. Dr. Gilbert is an expert in the area of health policyand services and an internationally renowned leader in the field of interprofessional health education.

Janet Rigby

Janet Rigby, MSc is the research coordinator for the WHO/PAHO Collaborating Centre onHealth workforce Planning and Research at Dalhousie Universityand a Research Coordinator in the department of Research and Innovation at the Nova Scotia Health Authority, Halifax, Nova Scotia. Ms. Rigby has over 30 years’ experience as a professional research coordinator/manager in the research areas of HRH policy development and evaluation, evaluation of the development of programs, HIV infection and drug use, socio-behavioural research in cancer, and youth health.