Interprofessional Working Research Articles

‘Defunding the police’: A consideration of the implications for the police role in mental health work

This paper examines the role of the police in mental health work. It explores whether the calls to ‘defund the police’ can be the basis for fundamental reforms of mental health services and the police role. The paper outlines the roots of the calls to ‘ defund the police’ situating the perspective in the wider Black Lives Matter movement (BLM). The wider BLM movement seeks to overturn long standing racial and social injustices, including the disproportionate use of force against black citizens and racial biases within the Criminal Justice System. It goes further in that BLM calls for a shift in funding from policing towards an investment in welfare and community services. These calls are captured in the phrase ‘defund the police’. These calls have highlighted the police role in mental health, particularly, the police response to citizens in mental health crisis. The paper examines the police role in mental health work, highlighting the historic impact of policies of deinstutionalisation and more recently austerity and welfare retrenchment. In calling for this policy shift, campaigners have highlighted the need to significant investment in mental health services. The police role in mental health services increased because of the failings of community care ( Cummins, 2020a ). Police officers have increasingly become first responders in mental health crises. The paper, focusing on England and Wales, uses ‘defund the police’ perspective as a lens to examine long standing areas of concern. Police involvement in mental health emergencies is inevitably stigmatizing. There are also concerns from the police. This is an area of police demand that has grown of austerity and the wider retrenchment in public services. Police officers often feel that they lack the skills and knowledge required to undertake their role in mental health work. In addition, there is frustration generated by poor interprofessional working. Police officers on an organizational and individual level feel that they are often left ‘ picking up the pieces’ . There is a wide recognition that mental health services are failing to provide appropriate responses to those in crisis ( Wessley, 2018 ). As well as being an issue of human rights and social justice, these failures place vulnerable people at increased risk. All aspects of police work involve contact with people experiencing mental health problems. People with mental health problems are first and foremost human beings who should be treated with dignity and respect. They are also citizens, family members, carers and work colleagues. Having acknowledged that core value perspective, if we accept that police officers will be involved in mental health work, we should seek to limit their role as far as is possible. The paper concludes that it is likely that there will be always be some form of police involvement in mental health–related work. However, there is a need to limit this as far as possible.

A service evaluation of a community NHS trust's first contact practitioner physiotherapy pilot service

Keywords: Evolving; FCP; Practice Purpose:•To analyse the effectiveness of the FCP pilot service•The objectives of this service evaluation were to analyse the pilot's efficiency and effectiveness along with exploring the experience of stakeholders. Methods: Mixed methods service evaluation with inductive thematic analysis. Included interviews of staff (GP, FCP, B7 physiotherapists) and patients. Results: This evaluation produced positive results comparative to other studies regarding the number of secondary care and imaging referrals. The DNA rate was high and a large percentage of patients were referred on for further physiotherapy. Initially, there were many inappropriate referrals into the service, however, this improved towards the end of the pilot. Themes from the interviews included ‘it's all good’, ‘staff get it, patients not yet’, ‘admin is key’, ‘communication is crucial’. Conclusion(s): Findings: The evaluation was found to be effective and efficient and it highlighted the benefits of using advanced physiotherapists. All stakeholders were satisfied with the service, patients especially appreciated the short waiting times and seeing the right professional first time, whilst staff found the inter-professional working beneficial. Efficiency could have been improved by reducing the number of DNAs and inappropriate referrals. The GP administrators were found to be key to the service, and future services should look at making administrators central when implementing FCP services.•The trust and providers should consider implementing FCP services.•This evaluation suggests advanced clinicians are effective and using less experienced clinicians may provide a false economy.•Placing FCPs in individual practices will probably reduce DNA rates compared to using a hub model.•Appointment information should ideally be sent via text message or emails.•Strong communication links are needed between FCP and GP staff.•FCP services need to improve marketing.•Services should preferably utilise existing pathways for secondary care and imaging referrals.•Future services should look at making administrators central when implementing FCP services. Suggestions for future work:-Further studies are required to investigate optimal methods of marketing FCP services.-Future studies are needed to analyse the views and experiences of staff outside of the host practice in hub models.-Targeted data is needed to identify staff who are referring patients inappropriately.-Optimisation of GP admin training should be explored for FCP services. Impact: The project strengthens the case for implementing FCP within the trust and enhances the provision for patients if the service is implemented. It provides baseline data and informs providers who are implementing FCP services. Funding acknowledgements: This work was not funded.

Interprofessional education focused on medication safety: a systematic review

ABSTRACT Safe medication use necessitates interprofessional working, with calls to enhance interprofessional education (IPE) focusing on medication safety (MS) in healthcare professional (HCP) curricula. Little is known about the design, delivery or evaluation of such activities. This systematic literature review describes MS-focused IPE activities in pre-qualification HCP programmes. MedLine, EMBASE, CINAHL and ERIC were searched, relevant studies identified and data extracted. The McGill Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool was employed. The 3P (presage-process-product) theory structured deductive analysis. Thirty-one studies were included, reporting on 30 activities, mostly undertaken in North America or United Kingdom. Presage/Design: Most reported activities involved pharmacy, nursing, medical or physician assistant students learning with one or more other HCP group. Few studies matched student groups’ skills or experiences. Few studies reported theoretical underpinnings. Process/Delivery: Multiple pedagogical approaches were employed, mostly social construction, and low- and high-fidelity simulation-based learning. Few studies reported learning outcomes or summative assessment, more reported formative assessment. Product/evaluation: Outcomes measured were learners’ opinions, satisfaction or attitudes toward interprofessional working and findings were generally positive. Few studies reported on student development or outcomes specific to medication safety. Lack of integration of qualitative/quantitative components of mixed methods studies and limited outcome measurements' validity or reliability weakened study quality. MS-focused IPE for pre-qualification HCPs is well received by students. Design of future activities could be enhanced by employing theory and ensuring matching of students’ and groups’ skills, professional identity and learner attributes to enhance learning in an interprofessional setting. Future delivery should embed MS-focused IPE into the standard curricula to optimize constructive alignment, learner engagement, quality and drive development. The required skillset in pre-qualification HCP programmes to facilitate future safe medication practice, together with the associated learning outcomes and assessment approaches, should be defined. The quality of scholarly studies examining these activities needs improvement.

Physiotherapists perceived role in managing anxiety in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis: a mixed-methods study

BackgroundAnxiety is common for people with Multiple Sclerosis (PwMS) and is higher in those with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) and in community-based samples. Anxiety can impact self-efficacy, pain, fatigue, engagement in physical activity and treatment adherence, all of which influence the rehabilitation process. Little is known about how physiotherapists manage anxiety in PwMS and the challenges associated with anxiety throughout the rehabilitation process, in community and outpatient settings.MethodsA mixed-methods design, combining a cross-sectional survey and semi-structured interviews with UK-physiotherapists, was used to answer the research question. To inform the qualitative study, a cross-sectional survey collected data from physiotherapists working in neurology to understand the impact and management of anxiety in people with MS (PwMS) during rehabilitation. Analysis used descriptive statistics and the findings formed the interview guide. Semi-structured interviews with specialist physiotherapists explored barriers and facilitators to managing anxiety in PwMS in community and outpatient settings, identified perceived physiotherapy training needs and offered suggestions to develop physiotherapy research and practice. Themes were derived inductively.ResultsThe survey suggested how PwMS present with anxiety, its impact during rehabilitation, physiotherapy management practices, and physiotherapist skills and training needs. Five semi-structured interviews with specialist physiotherapists expanded on the survey findings and identified five main themes: Understanding the MS journey, modifying assessment and treatment, anxiety management toolbox, lagging behind Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy, and gaining knowledge and skills.ConclusionPhysiotherapists encounter anxiety in PwMS in community and outpatient rehabilitation and perceive they have a role in managing it as it presents. Facilitators included communication, listening skills and opportunities to develop strong therapeutic relationships. Poor training and support, lack of clinical guidelines and limited research evidence were considered barriers. Clinically relevant learning opportunities, interprofessional working, and greater support through clinical supervision is recommended to better develop physiotherapy practice.

Interprofissionalidade e interdisciplinaridade em saúde: reflexões sobre resistências a partir de conceitos da Análise Institucional

ABSTRACT This study aimed to report the experience of the students of the professional master’s degree in health services management, regarding the use of concepts of Institutional Analysis, to analyze the resistances to interprofessional and interdisciplinary work in health, locating them as an analyzer of the process and of work relationships. The study was prepared from the experience and analysis of institutional journals, written by students, and analyzed based on the theoretical framework of Institutional Analysis. It was observed that resistance to interprofessional and interdisciplinary work, especially on the part of physicians, crosses health organizations, work relationships, and assistance to users. However, this resistance is also exercised by other professionals and users, which limits the interdisciplinarity and comprehensiveness of health care. But if, on the one hand, there is still a certain predominance of the biomedical model, on the other hand, resistance to this model is also observed in health organizations, needing to expand the spaces of collective analysis capable of enunciating the reductionism of this paradigm. It can be concluded that collectively analyzing these resistances allows health professionals to expand the conditions to leave their established places and perceive the instituting movements in the services in which they work.

Wake-Up Call for Action: The Current Situation of Public, Global and One Health Education during Medical School in Times of Globalization and Increasing Health Threats: A review

Public, Global, and One Health are individual approaches to health that partly influence each other and all are becoming increasingly important in medical education. ‘’Public Health’’ is an approach to protect and improve health of a population. Nevertheless, most health threats are transcended national boarders, so the “Global Health” approach is becoming increasingly relevant. The holistic approach "One Health" goes even further: in addition to human health, animal health and the environment must also be considered. All these approaches are influenced by globalization, the increasing immigration and the occurrence of pandemics. Accordingly, it is the responsibility of higher education institutes to integrate health approaches in their curriculum to train future physicians to meet the demands of their patients and the population. This review reflects the current situation of the mentioned approaches in medical education in different countries from which data are available. The research shows that there exists a wide range of Public Health programms, but they are rarely assessed and only a small number of degrees programes is offered for physicians. In contrast to this, Global Health activities during medical education are more reported, and the main providers for Global Health education are medical schools. The necessity to implement One Health topics in medical curriculum is seen by many organizations, but there are just a few publications about the implementation in medical education available. The main issue in educating health approaches is a missing standard; the dissent of competences, which are relevant to future practical use; the curriculums are oversaturated; and a lack of expertise to the topics. For the future there is a need to implement health approaches into the core curriculum of medical education. Therefore, it is a possibility to integrate the subjects into existing activities and to use didactic concepts, such as clinical rotation, problem-based learning, or case-based learning. In addition, interprofessional work and partnerships between medical and Public Health communities must be improved. Public, Global, and One Health education requires a structured and comprehensive curriculum that ensures adequate training of medical students in an increasingly globalized world and diversified patient population.

O acadêmico de Medicina frente à população em situação de rua: Trabalho Colaborativo como ferramenta

ABSTRACT This is the experience report of a medical academic from Federal University Fluminense, intern of the Education Program for Work for Health/Interprofessionality, working as part of the Street Clinic of Niterói/RJ, Brazil between April 2019 and March 2020. Aiming at the recognition of challenges, limits and potential of Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Work, the narrative constructed through 44 reports sent to the Program’s preceptors and tutors was used as a methodological tool, being shared not only what the practical field as a physical space brought to light, but also what came to life through intersubjectivity in the encounter with different characters. The opportunity to follow the strategy allowed the student to know more about this essential service to ensure equity in the health of the homeless population, leading to the improvement/development of skills/tools that will compose a work centered on the formation of positive bonds with service users, in the provision of comprehensive care and collabora- tive health practices. It was concluded that, despite the numerous barriers, Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Work are important instruments in academic training, standing out in the production of high quality health services, especially in offering comprehensive care to people in vulnerability.

Construction and Practice of Interprofessional Work

Construction and Practice of Interprofessional Work

205 Simulation as a form of Immersive Theatre

Immersive theatre is a style of theatre that removes the fourth wall of traditional theatre turning the audience into participants and engaging the five senses such as sight, sound, touch, taste and smell; a concept applied equally to multi-professional, human factor-based simulation. Peter Brook, one of our greatest theatre directors, says, ‘Drama is exposure; it is confrontation; it is a contradiction, and it leads to analysis, construction, recognition and eventually to an awakening of understanding’. This is without doubt what we do in simulation. We create scenarios, ‘the drama’, we create managing deteriorating patients, the ‘confrontation and contradiction’ and we enter debriefing, the ‘analysis, construction and eventual awakening of understanding’. Using the concepts of immersive theatre and drama, creating more realistic environments and authentic interactions, we can offer the participants a greater sense of reality in which to practice vital inter-professional medical care. High-fidelity simulation encompasses more than just a technological top of the range manikin which often comes at a premium cost. High-fidelity simulation is an attack on all of the senses, visually sick patients, noises and smells of the environment, even touch and taste. The soundscape of an emergency room, smells of humans, drugs, equipment, tastes of stewed tea and warm water, the touch of a sick patient or a disruptive relative in a visually authentic space creates the perfect setting for an immersive simulation experience. By implementing psychological, sociological and physical fidelity, we offer a unique way of practicing essential skills of interprofessional working not only to enhance patient care and safety but also to allow a greater understanding of ourselves and others in stressful, urgent and critical situations. Applying ideas from the world of drama and theatre, creating authentic immersive environments can give participants the freedom to be in the simulation and steer them away from acting in the simulation.

Atención primaria en salud reto de los profesionales de enfermería: una revisión narrativa

ABSTRACTOBJECTIVE Carry out a narrative review of scientific literature on nursing professionals training in primary health care (PHC), which allows us to know the challenges facing the renewal of this strategy.METHODS Review of the literature found, selection of 55 articles from various scientific sources in the last 10 years in electronic databases (MEDLINE, IME, LILACS, Centro Cochrane Iberoamericano, Embase, CUIDEN, CINAHL, BDIE). The selected articles were submitted to an interpretation, synthesis, and critical analysis process for the purpose of selection.RESULTS Higher education institutions in Colombia have been working on training of undergraduate students responding to the axes established in the strengthening of human resources in health. This training is used for the application of the integral health care model, focusing on the strengthening of work profiles and the acquisition of competencies that can generate significant contributions to the reality and needs of the individual, family, community, as well as to the different cultures and ethnic groups with humanization, under the general social security health system. An analysis of renewed and comprehensive PHC approaches has been carried out in different countries involving transformations in education with training by competencies, interprofessional work, teamwork, strengthening communication with the community, and health team.CONCLUSIONS Based on the narrative review, this research highlights the importance of developing studies on interventions carried out by students with acquired competencies in their training process and management to improve health conditions of the community.

Supporting social work field instructors: Empowerment as a strategy for preventing burnout

Summary Social work field instructors are integral to social work education and must balance professional responsibilities with supervising students. Empowerment and burnout are concepts that may impact the well-being of social work field instructors. However, few studies have explored empowerment and burnout among this population. This study aimed to a) explore the association between overall empowerment and burnout and b) explore how different elements of empowerment are associated with burnout when controlling for interprofessional work, demographic characteristics, and workplace characteristics. This nonexperimental cross-sectional study utilized primary survey data to examine the association between the Social Worker Empowerment Scale and ProQOL Burnout scores among a sample of social work field instructors (N = 189) of a Mid-Atlantic university. Findings Preliminary bivariate analysis found a significant negative association between overall empowerment and burnout. Hierarchical linear regression results displayed a significant negative association between burnout and two elements of empowerment: Collective identity and knowledge. One element of empowerment, propensity to act, was found to have a significant positive association with burnout. Years of social work experience and coping on an interprofessional team were found to have significant negative associations with burnout. Applications Agencies and educational institutions can reduce burnout among field instructors by fostering their sense of connection to the social work profession and ensuring they feel knowledgeable and competent in their role. This can be accomplished through fostering strong relationships and providing ongoing, accessible training to field instructors. More detailed recommendations for reducing burnout by increasing empowerment are provided in the manuscript.

63 USING CO-DESIGN TO DEVELOP A CORE COMPETENCY FRAMEWORK FOR INTERPROFESSIONAL COLLABORATION WITHIN INTEGRATED CARE TEAMS FOR OLDER PEOPLE IN IRELAND

Abstract Background Fundamental to the successful delivery of integrated care for older people in Ireland and internationally, is sustainable interprofessional collaboration (IPC). Current evidence, however, offers little guidance in terms of how IPC can be fostered and sustained within the context of integrated care and older people. This research aimed to design a framework that describes core competencies for IPC within integrated care teams (ICTs) for older people, and outline mechanisms by which ICTs could start to develop the necessary knowledge, skills and behaviours to demonstrate proficiency. Methods Using a co-design approach, academic health systems researchers, members of the National Integrated Care Programme for Older People in Ireland (IPC subcommittee), and public and patient representatives (nominated by Age Friendly Ireland) collaborated across three studies to devise a core competency framework. Study 1 used co-design workshops to develop and gain consensus on core competencies; study 2 employed semi-structured interviews to explore current working practice within two existing interprofessional ICTs and study 3, combined findings from study 1 and 2, validated the agreed upon competencies and finalised the IPC competency framework. Results Six competencies, within three domains, were agreed. Domain one, knowledge of the team, includes the competencies, understanding roles and making referrals. Domain two, communication, includes sharing information and communicating effectively and domain three, shared decision-making, includes the final two competencies, supporting decision making with older people and collective clinical decision-making. Conclusion This co-designed framework provides the scaffold for curriculum development for the training of health and social care professionals around interdisciplinary team working for the care of older people. The core competencies prioritise mutual respect and active elicitation of input from all disciplines, thereby empowering disciplinary-specific expertise. Finally, and perhaps most critically, the will and preferences of the older person are deemed central to effective integrated interprofessional working within the developed IPC framework.

Embracing or relinquishing sources of power in interprofessional communication: implications for patient-centered speaking up

ABSTRACT Health professionals working in an interprofessional work environment are entrusted to speak up on behalf of patients. However, that environment is comprised of dynamic intra- and interprofessional hierarchies, characterized by power differentials that affect speaking up behaviors. Drawing on the social bases of power and on power/interaction theory, we analyzed focus group and interview transcripts of 62 health professionals’ accounts of speaking up. We focused on their primary sources of power, and described factors associated with health professionals’ embracing power to speak up for patient safety, as well as those associated with relinquishing power and remaining silent. Nurses primarily employed direct patient information as a source of power to advocate for patients. Senior nurses and attending physicians exercised their legitimate power through titles or expertise, and when embracing that power, often influenced the healthcare team’s speaking up behaviors and the team environment. Physician trainees perceived to have limited sources of power. Participants reported using hospital policies, relationships, and humor for engaging in speaking up behavior. Relinquishing power and remaining silent were associated with fear, anxiety, and lack of confidence. Given the complex, hierarchical environment in healthcare, leaders’ inclusive behaviors for setting a culture for speaking up, including modeling speaking up, are critical.

Experiences of diagnostic radiographers through the Covid-19 pandemic

IntroductionDiagnostic Radiography plays a major role in the diagnosis and management of patients with Covid-19. This has seen an increase in the demand for imaging services, putting pressure on the workforce. Diagnostic radiographers, as with many other healthcare professions, have been on the frontline, dealing with an unprecedented situation. This research aimed to explore the experience of diagnostic radiographers working clinically during the Covid-19 pandemic. MethodsInfluenced by interpretative phenomenology, this study explored the experiences of diagnostic radiographers using virtual focus group interviews as a method of data collection. ResultsData were analysed independently by four researchers and five themes emerged from the data. Adapting to new ways of working, feelings and emotions, support mechanisms, self-protection and resilience, and professional recognition. ConclusionThe adaptability of radiographers came across strongly in this study. Anxieties attributed to the provision of personal protective equipment (PPE), fear of contracting the virus and spreading it to family members were evident. The resilience of radiographers working throughout this pandemic came across strongly throughout this study. A significant factor for coping has been peer support from colleagues within the workplace. The study highlighted the lack of understanding of the role of the radiographer and how the profession is perceived by other health care professionals. Implications for practiceThis study highlights the importance of interprofessional working and that further work is required in the promotion of the profession.

Unobserved Observers: Nurses' Perspectives About Sharing Feedback on the Performance of Resident Physicians.

Postgraduate training programs are incorporating feedback from registered nurses (RNs) to facilitate holistic assessments of resident performance. RNs are a potentially rich source of feedback because they often observe trainees during clinical encounters when physician supervisors are not present. However, RN perspectives about sharing feedback have not been deeply explored. This study investigated RN perspectives about providing feedback and explored the facilitators and barriers influencing their engagement. Constructivist grounded theory methodology was used in interviewing 11 emergency medicine and 8 internal medicine RNs at 2 campuses of a tertiary care academic medical center in Ontario, Canada, between July 2019 and March 2020. Interviews explored RN experiences working with and observing residents in clinical practice. Data collection and analysis were conducted iteratively. Themes were identified using constant comparative analysis. RNs felt they could observe authentic day-to-day behaviors of residents often unwitnessed by supervising physicians and offer unique feedback related to patient advocacy, communication, leadership, collaboration, and professionalism. Despite a strong desire to contribute to resident education, RNs were apprehensive about sharing feedback and reported barriers related to hierarchy, power differentials, and a fear of overstepping professional boundaries. Although infrequent, a key stimulus that enabled RNs to feel safe in sharing feedback was an invitation from the supervising physician to provide input. Perceived hierarchy in academic medicine is a critical barrier to engaging RNs in feedback for residents. Accessing RN feedback on authentic resident behaviors requires dismantling the negative effects of hierarchy and fostering a collaborative interprofessional working environment. A critical step toward this goal may require supervising physicians to model feedback-seeking behavior by inviting RNs to share feedback. Until a workplace culture is established that validates nurses' input and creates safe opportunities for them to contribute to resident education, the voices of nurses will remain unheard.

Non-profit breastfeeding organisations' peer support provision in areas of socio-economic deprivation in the UK: A meta-ethnography.

In many high‐income countries such as the United Kingdom, inequalities in breastfeeding initiation and continuation rates exist, whereby socio‐economically advantaged mothers are most likely to breastfeed. Breastfeeding peer support interventions are recommended to address this inequality, with non‐profit breastfeeding organisations providing such support in areas of deprivation. As these organisations' roots and membership are often formed of relatively highly resourced women who have different backgrounds and experiences to those living in areas of deprivation, it is important to understand their practices in this context. In order to explore how UK non‐profit organisations practice breastfeeding peer support in areas of socio‐economic deprivation, a systematic review and meta‐ethnography of published and grey literature was undertaken. Sixteen texts were included, and three core themes constructed: (1) ‘changing communities’ reveals practices designed to generate community level change, and (2) ‘enabling one to one support’, explains how proactive working practices enabled individual mothers' access to supportive environments. (3) ‘forging partnerships with health professionals’, describes how embedding peer support within local health services facilitated peer supporters' access to mothers. While few breastfeeding peer support practices were directly linked to the context of socio‐economic deprivation, those described sought to influence community and individual level change. They illuminate the importance of interprofessional working. Further work to consolidate the peer‐professional interface to ensure needs‐led care is required.

Interprofessional Teamwork amongst Speech Language Pathologists, Occupational Therapists, and Registered Dietitians

Identify the importance of interprofessional work and overlapping roles in swallowing disorders.

Using an empathic design thinking approach to reshape interprofessional curricula for health care trainees

Interprofessional curricula that targets the needs of all stakeholders is not a standard within interprofessional education (IPE). Incorporating _mpathic design thinking into curricular development calls upon stakeholders to provide insights into the expectations and goals of interprofessional learning and practice. Design Thinking has been tested in various settings but has not been fully adopted in healthcare and education. This paper will describe how a design thinking process was used to understand gaps between expected IPE competencies, curricular implementation, and interprofessional work. We utilized the first two stages of an _mpathic design thinking approach to explore the essential elements needed within an interprofessional curriculum for nursing and medical students. Essential elements included incorporating curricular strategies that enhance relationships, communication, coordination and the physical environment for interprofessional work. _mpathic Design Thinking can be readily incorporated into healthcare and education, providing a holistic approach to identifying IPE gaps and understanding stakeholder needs.

Factors affecting the adoption and use of AVR technology in higher and tertiary education

The research study assesses the factors that determine the adoption of Augmented and Virtual Reality (AVR) technology in Higher and Tertiary Education. In spite of the well-established potential benefits of AVR technology in education, it appears that most Higher and Tertiary Institutions have not holistically adopted it as a method of teaching and learning. Thus, it is important to investigate the reasons why AVR has not been adopted. Inductive qualitative research was conducted virtually with the aid of a questionnaire instrument. The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) was used to establish the determinants for the adoption of AVR Technology. The research study found out that the main reasons for the lack of adoption of AVR technology were due to the lack of coordinating policies; lack of enabling infrastructures; perceived complexity of the use of AVR technology and a lack of a framework that guides the holistic as well as homogenous adoption of AVR technology in Higher and Tertiary Education. The research concluded that an AVR technology was necessary and should factor in the barriers to adoption. The study recommends inter-professional working of key players such as the Ministry of Higher Education (in endorsing an AVR technology model), the lecturers (using and encouraging AVR technology), and the students (active participation and use of AVR technology to learn). Prior to this study, the aspect of inter-professional working as a solution to the adoption and use of AVR in Higher and Tertiary Education had not been explored. However, more still needs to be done within Virtual Training and the development of an AVR model for teaching and learning.

Implementation and lessons learned from 2 online interprofessional faculty development programs for improving educational practice in the health professions in Chile and the United Kingdom from 2018 to 2021.

This study presents the design, implementation, and lessons learned from 2 fit-for-purpose online interprofessional faculty development programs for educational practice improvement in the health professions in Chile and the United Kingdom from 2018 to 2021. Both programs were designed to enhance teaching and learning practices in an interprofessional environment based on 4 pillars: professional diversity, egalitarianism, blended/online learning, and active learning strategies. A multidisciplinary mix of educators participated, showing similar results. The 3 main lessons learned were that the following factors facilitated an interprofessional environment: a professions-inclusive teaching style, a flexible learning climate, and interprofessional peer work. These lessons may be transferable to other programs seeking to enhance and support interprofessionality. Faculty development initiatives preparing educators for interprofessional practice should be an integral component of health professions education, as delivering these courses within professional silos is no longer justifiable. As the relevance of interprofessional education grows, an effective way of promoting interprofessonal education is to train the trainers in formal interprofessional settings.