Students’ experiences of inter-professional education through International Classification of Functioning-based activities at a community-based rehabilitation centre

Abstract

Introduction. The training of healthcare professionals is faced with many challenges. To ultimately strengthen the health system, training has to respond to new health challenges, health science developments and societal needs. The Bishop Lavis Primary Health Care Project was established in 1993 and led to the establishment of the Bishop Lavis Rehabilitation Centre (BLRC). The current inter-professional service delivery at the Centre is based on the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Functioning (ICF) model for holistic client-centred care. The objective of this article is to describe the students’ experiences of inter-professional education (IPE) through ICF-based activities at BLRC. Methods. Data were gathered from a retrospective review of student feedback forms from 2010 to 2012. Content analysis was employed to identify key themes regarding IPE. Results. Inter-professional learning was found to occur spontaneously between the four allied health professions as a result of the ICF model-driven activities at BLRC. Conclusion. Feedback at the end of the students’ clinical placement was open ended and no information was asked specifically about IPE. More than half of the students spontaneously mentioned that learning about working in an inter-professional team as one of the highlights of their placement at BLRC, has prompted the sharing of this information. This article offers a potential framework (ICF) that fosters and supports the IPE philosophy in a clinical setting.