Institutionalizing interdisciplinary health professions programs in higher education: the implications of one story and two laws

Abstract

The interdisciplinary education of health professionals in the USA has increasingly been tied to renewed efforts directed toward quality improvement in the healthcare system, where problems with communication, collaboration, and cooperation are seen as endemic. Many of the published reports and recommendations on interdisciplinary programming, however, have omitted or downplayed the difficulties and challenges of developing and sustaining efforts in this area. Through the presentation of a detailed case study and the exploration of two laws of interdisciplinary programming proposed from it, this paper explores the fundamental difficulties of developing and, more importantly, sustaining interdisciplinary health professions programs in higher educational settings. The utilization of strategies based on emerging forces in the healthcare system and in higher education itself is suggested for initiating interdisciplinary projects, and structural and procedural factors are explored as critical in guaranteeing the long-term sustainability of such programs. Recommendations for the successful development and implementation of interdisciplinary programs in higher educational contexts are suggested, focusing particularly on the role of an advocate in the top down and bottom up development and maintenance of the resources needed for the success of such programs.