Which factors influenced the adoption of interprofessionality in health based on the reports of the PET-Health Interprofessionality projects in Brazil? A document analysis

ABSTRACT

The Program of Education through Work - Health (PET-Health) Interprofessionality is one of the strategic actions of the “Plan for the Strengthening of Interprofessionality” in healthcare in Brazil. Based on the experience of the program, this paperexamines the aspects that impact the adoption and strengthening of interprofessional education and collaborative practices, and issues recommendations for the strengthening of interprofessionality as a guiding principle of training and working in healthcare. This is a document analysis of partial reports from the six- and 12-months of execution of 120 PET-Health Interprofessionality projects in Brazil. The data were analyzed based on content analysis and the categories elaborated a priori. The aspects that impact the adoption and strengthening of interprofessionality in training and working in healthcare, and future recommendations, were organized in the relational, processual, organizational, and contextual dimensions, according to the framework by Reeves et al. The PET-Health Interprofessionality expanded the understanding of elements of interprofessional education and practice and showed that the discussion must take on a more political, critical, and reflexive character. The analysis points to the need for continuity of teaching-learning activities as a strategy to foster interprofessional capacity in healthcare services and consequent strengthening of the Unified Healthcare System in Brazil.

KEYWORDS:

• Education in healthcare professions
• interprofessional collaboration
• interprofessional education
• learning healthcare system
• qualitative research
• work-based learning

Acknowledgments

The authors thank the PAHO/WHO and the Ministry of Health for funding the PET-Health Interprofessionality and the process of construction of scientific evidence on the implications of projects approved in the public notice in inducing changes in training and work in healthcare. They also thank the Ministry of Health of Brazil for authorizing access to the data of semiannual and annual reports produced by the PET-Health Interprofessionality projects.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This research was funded by the PAHO/WHO and the Ministry of Health via the letter of agreement SCON2018-00510.

Notes on contributors

Andrezza Karine Araújo de Medeiros Pereira

Andrezza Karine Araújo de Medeiros Pereira is a nurse, nursing professor and doctoral student. She researches and studies interprofessional education in healthcare training.

Patrícia Rios Poletto

Patrícia Rios Poletto is a physiotherapist and works as a professor at the Federal University of São Paulo, in the Baixada Santista Campus. She studies and researches interprofessional education in health, focusing on curriculum, evaluation, and faculty development.

Franklin Delano Soares Forte

Franklin Delano Soares Forte is a dentist and titular professor in the Department of Clinical and Social Dentistry at the Federal University of Paraíba. His studies are directed towards health policies and services, health training and interprofessionality.

Marcelo Viana Da Costa

Marcelo Viana da Costa is a nurse and professor at the Multicampi School of Medical Sciences at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte. He performed the function of coordinator of the monitoring process of the PET-Health Interprofessionality projects. Vice coordinator the Brazilian Network of Education and Interprofessional Word in Health (ReBETIS). He studies and researches on education and interprofessional practice in health, planning of initiatives for IPE, faculty development for IPE and curriculum in IPE.