Interprofessional education (IPE) fosters collaboration among allied health disciplines to improve patient care. The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the need for cross-disciplinary skills in healthcare (Goldman & Xyrichis, 2020). Effective IPE requires structured integration in health programs to enhance teamwork and patient outcomes (Sultan et al., 2022). This study examined faculty perceptions of IPE at a public university through an IPE-specific survey (IPKAS) and faculty interviews, exploring its integration into an allied health learning community (LC). While IPE curricula have been studied, faculty awareness and perceptions remain less explored. Faculty engagement provided insights into IPE implementation challenges and opportunities. Attitudes (M = 24.1±2.7), knowledge (M = 25.4±2.8), and perceptions (M = 21.3±2.4) were generally positive, with strong agreement on IPE’s role in improving patient care. Many faculty recognized IPE’s benefits but identified a need for more structured support to maximize its impact. Interview data analysis identified five themes: (1) Facilitators, (2) Barriers, (3) IPE Integration, (4) Institutional Support, and (5) Professional Development. Faculty viewed collaboration as essential but noted obstacles, including workload demands, limited administrative support, and professional silos that hinder engagement. Despite recognizing IPE’s value, faculty faced resource and support limitations that restricted its implementation. A coordinated institutional approach through dedicated funding, faculty development, and policy commitments is needed. Strong faculty engagement and positive correlations between knowledge and attitudes suggest targeted interventions, including faculty training and curriculum alignment, could improve IPE adoption and sustainability.
The lightning talk will provide learners with a summary of the study described in the abstract above and also go in more depth regarding the qualitative feedback I collected from faculty regarding their thoughts on how to best integrate IPE into higher education. Specific facilitators and barriers will be discussed.
This lighting talk fulfills at least one (if not more) of the criteria that were mentioned, with a specific focus on how to best "Preparing Students for Interprofessional Collaborative Practice" based on what faculty foresees as a sustainable approach to IPE.
