Introductory Interprofessional Education Research Articles

Joint interprofessional education of pharmacy and dietetics undergraduates - a scoping review

IntroductionInterprofessional education (IPE) is an integrative approach that enables collaboration of students of two or more different health professions in aim to acquire skills and competencies related not only to their field of study but also to ensure the standard of care based on collaborative practice. IPE has not yet been explored in relation to collaboration between dietetics-nutrition and pharmacy students, while there is evidence that in many cases nutrition is complementary to pharmacotherapy in the treatment process.AimThe aim of this scoping review was to gather, describe and discuss all relevant literature regarding joint interprofessional training of pharmacy and dietetics-nutrition undergraduates.MethodsWe performed a literature search for studies where IPE between dietetics-nutrition and pharmacy students was described. 2204 articles on this topic were identified. After eligibility assessment, 8 articles were included in the review.ResultsEight studies were included in the review. Two of these described IPE activities between dietetics and pharmacy students only. The included studies varied in setting, methodology and outcome measures and covered a wide range of topics relevant to clinical practice, such as management of inflammatory bowel diseases, care of the older adults or counselling skills. The most common teaching method was the use of case studies. Some of the included studies did not identify specific learning objectives. The most common way of gathering feedback from participants was through questionnaires and interviews.ConclusionsIPE of pharmacy and dietetics-nutrition students is feasible and may be beneficial in many aspects related to learning. However, there is no well-established model or standard that would facilitate the implementation of such activities in individual educational institutions.

Building Interprofessional Competency Through A Virtual Cardiopulmonary Case Collaboration

Introduction Interprofessional education (IPE) experiences are prioritized as a key component of physician assistant (PA) and Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) education programs’ curricula to reflect contemporary practice. Virtual IPE is reported to facilitate clinical decision making and teamwork in students. However, limited studies exist on its effectiveness to promote the IPE Collaborative's (IPEC) core competencies. As we aim to increase IPE in our curriculum, virtual IPE offers several advantages. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether a case-based, virtual IPE improved students' knowledge and attitudes of collaborative team skills using the Interprofessional Collaborative Competencies Attainment Scale (ICCAS). Methods This study used a retrospective pretest-posttest design. Students in first-year PA and DPT programs (n = 130, PA = 48, DPT = 82) completed the ICCAS survey before and after attendance of a mandatory virtual IPE event. The virtual IPE session centered on designing a collaborative plan of care for an individual with congestive heart failure in an outpatient setting. To assess skill attainment, students completed the ICCAS survey. t Tests with Bonferroni's correction (P < .01) were conducted for analyses. Results One hundred twenty-two students (PA = 46, DPT = 76) provided complete survey data. Statistically significant improvement was noted for all 20 questions (P < .001). Large pre/post-IPE event effect sizes were observed for all 20 statements in the ICCAS. No statistically significant differences between the 2 disciplines were noted. Discussion Our findings suggest that a virtual case-based IPE experience may offer benefits to improve the student's attitude and knowledge related to IPEC during the initial year of PA and DPT programs. These data are encouraging as integration of virtual IPE experiences may affect teamwork competencies in healthcare programs.

Achieving the unachievable: the development of a large-scale interprofessional education workshop for first-year health professional students. Developing a large-scale interprofessional education workshop

he need for interprofessional education within healthcare education is widely accepted, yet healthcare educators continue to grapple with the challenges associated with integrating authentic interprofessional learning activities within curricula. Timetabling conflicts, shortage of teaching spaces, geographical separation, the need for educator training, varying assessment needs, lack of organisational commitment, and suboptimal attitude by faculties towards Interprofessional Education, continue to be identified as barriers making it seemingly unachievable by many. We describe an introductory Interprofessional Education workshop that was successfully delivered to over 2600 first-year health students across 13 health disciplines at an Australian university, demonstrating how as a team of interprofessional educators we achieved the unachievable, successfully overcoming many of the obstacles to IPE. We outline the importance of authentic learning activities constructively aligned to learning outcomes and assessment, and the necessity of student, early facilitator, and faculty engagement, to overcome logistical and practical challenges. Finally, we discuss the changes to the workshop necessitated COVID-19, and future challenges and directions.

Student Pharmacists’ Attitude Changes Toward Interprofessional Education Following an Introductory Interprofessional Course

Objective. Interprofessional education (IPE) has the potential to enhance collaboration among health care professionals in providing best patient care. Several IPE studies reported findings about multiple disciplines, but there is scant information focusing on IPE in student pharmacists. The objectives of this study were to, first, measure changes in student pharmacists' attitudes toward introductory interprofessional education using the survey Students Perceptions of Interprofessional Clinical Education Revised 2 (SPICE-R2) and, second, obtain a comprehensive understanding of attitude changes by integrating quantitative and qualitative results.Methods. A convergent mixed-methods design was used and involved quantitative data about the attitudes measured by the SPICE-R2 survey and qualitative open-ended questions about students' opinions. Participants completed the survey three times, namely before and after completing an online course and after participating in an in-person event.Results. Of 89 student pharmacists that participated in this study, 55 and 27 students provided complete responses for the online course and the event, respectively. Paired t tests showed significant improvements in students' attitudes after completing the online course for the three SPICE-R2 subdomains, and the qualitative data was confirmatory. After participating in the event, students' attitudes were not significantly changed. The meta-inferences were expansive in four areas, including team building, professional communication, learning from the group case study, and health care challenges.Conclusion. The online course was an effective learning activity for improving student pharmacists' attitudes toward IPE. The event was a viable learning activity to maintain or increase the students' attitudes toward interprofessional roles and teamwork. The mixed-methods findings provided "value added" with a more comprehensive understanding of attitude change.

Interprofessional education in health professions education programmes in the Arab world: a scoping review protocol

IntroductionInterprofessional education is a relatively new addition to health professional education curricula in the Arab world. To understand current practice in this area, a scoping review will enable reporting of...

Exploring the Efficacy of a Virtual First Year Interprofessional Education Event.

Interprofessional education (IPE) activities are utilized in health education programs to develop interprofessional collaboration (IPC) competencies. All first-year healthcare students at three postsecondary learning institutions attend a mandatory introductory IPE event annually. During the 2020/2021 academic year, the event was moved from a face-to-face activity to a virtual format due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. This study examined whether the virtual IPE activity was effective in supporting the development of interprofessional competencies for first-year healthcare students. Two hundred and six students attended a synchronous didactic presentation on IPE competencies and discussed a simulated case in interprofessional groups of eight students and two faculty facilitators. The Interprofessional Collaborative Competency Attainment Survey (ICCAS) was used to measure the students’ opinions on interprofessional competencies. Paired t-tests were used to compare the pre- and post-scores. One hundred and nine (52.9% response rate) students completed the survey. Surveys from 99 students with matched pre- and post-scores were included in the study. The ICCAS competencies showed improvements (p < 0.05) in all of the students’ self-reported IPE competencies following the activity compared to before the training. Our findings indicate that the virtual IPE activity is effective in facilitating the development of IPC for first-year healthcare students.

Delivering interprofessional patient safety education using storytelling, a real-life medication error, and synchronous online platform

Introduction Interprofessional education (IPE) about patient safety positively impacts safety and reduces errors but is challenging to deliver. We aimed to determine if a synchronous virtual IPE program using storytelling and interactive learning impacted student perceptions about patient safety. Methods An IPE patient safety program involving medical and pharmacy students was synchronously delivered virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The program was framed using storytelling about a medication error told by a family member. Post-program survey data, exploring participants’ perspectives on the program, collected between July 2020 and November 2020 was retrospectively reviewed. Quantitative results were grouped by the five components of the program. Responses within each category were averaged to generate a summary measure of each student’s experience. Qualitative feedback from two survey questions was evaluated. Results There were 236 (96.7% of participants) completed surveys included in the analysis. High proportions of participants responded favorably across all five components of the survey. Qualitative responses were largely positive, with themes of increased empathy, behavior, and attitude change, and meaning making. Conclusion An interactive IPE patient safety program using storytelling about a real-life medication error to frame activities and utilizing a virtual platform was a favorable and impactful method to educate students.

Getting to know you: implementing an interprofessional education program for medical and respiratory therapy students in mechanical ventilation – challenges and lessons learned

ABSTRACT The physician and respiratory therapist function as an interprofessional team caring for patients on mechanical ventilation. There is a paucity of research devoted to interprofessional education (IPE) of students from different professions in mechanical ventilation during clinical rotations in the medical intensive care unit (MICU). Student interprofessional education could develop team communication and shared decision-making skills early in training. The uniqueness of this introductory IPE programme is that it occurs during a clinical rotation in a real MICU, as opposed to a pre-clinical simulated campus setting, and it blends students from various educational backgrounds. Medical students and respiratory therapy students from different academic institutions participated in traditional lectures, small interprofessional group case-based problem-solving sessions, MICU bedside teaching sessions, written assessments, and focus groups. Quantitative responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Qualitative responses were categorised using the core competencies for Interprofessional Collaborative Practice. The purpose of this introductory IPE programme was to foster opportunities for interprofessional interaction during the student clinical experience while improving knowledge about mechanical ventilation. Qualitative expectations and feedback were predominantly positive. Quantitative responses suggest that students from both disciplines gained knowledge about mechanical ventilation in an IPE setting.

Radiography students achieving competencies through structured interprofessional education

IntroductionInterprofessional education (IPE) takes place when representatives of at least two professions work and learn together, about and from each other to provide optimal healthcare. For the successful implementation of an IPE programme, conceptualisation, planning, and operationalisation and coordination among the various professions is crucial, to assist students to obtain the desired competencies of such a programme. The purpose is to investigate if a structured IPE programme assisted radiography students to achieve competencies. MethodsAn online questionnaire was compiled from literature and completed by radiography students who participated in a structured, three-week-long IPE programme. The questionnaire was mainly quantitative (using a Likert scale), though it also consisted of qualitative elements (open-ended questions). A Fischer’s Exact test was used to compare the responses of three different year groups. ResultsFeedback from the radiography students (n=63) indicated that they achieved this IPE programme’s specific competencies: role clarification, interprofessional communication, teamwork, person-centered care and values and ethics. There was good correlation between the feedback from all three year groups. The feedback on the open-ended questions correlated with the quantitative feedback, though some students felt excluded, as there was little reference to their particular profession in the simulation session of the IPE programme. ConclusionThe results of the study indicate that radiography students achieved the prescribed competencies of a structured IPE programme. The results provide insight into ways to improve the IPE programme. A recommendation emanating from the results of this study is that, to improve the experience of all healthcare professions students, structured IPE programmes have to promote inclusive teaching and learning. Implications for practiceRadiography students that participate in a structured IPE programme develop competencies necessary for effective collaborative clinical practice.

Early-learners' expectations of and experience with IPE: A multi-institutional qualitative study

BackgroundMulti-institutional qualitative studies are scarce within the interprofessional education (IPE) literature; such a report would provide comprehensive evidence for the application of interprofessional instruction among earlier learners. ObjectiveThis investigation explored students' expectations of and barriers to introductory IPE across four institutions. DesignQualitative inductive content analysis was utilized to interpret students' narrative responses to assigned pre- and post-survey questions. SettingHealth science schools of four U.S. institutions at Institution A, Institution B, Institution C, and Institution D. ParticipantsTwenty-two percent (n = 385) of eligible participants completed both pre- and post-surveys. Nursing student participation was greatest (n = 113, 33%), followed by occupational therapy (n = 44, 13%), and physical therapy (n = 36, 10%). All other program participation was <10%. In total, students' narrative comments from 19 degree programs were a part of the data set. MethodsResponses from one pre-survey question on expectations of introductory IPE and two post-survey questions on IPE benefits and barriers were studied using qualitative inductive thematic analysis. ResultsFour themes emerged as IPE learning expectations and benefits: my own professional role, professional role of others, teamwork, and communication. The theme of interacting with peers surfaced as an additional IPE benefit. There were four themes noted as IPE barriers: course logistics, lack of context, course content, and social dynamics. ConclusionThis multi-institutional qualitative study adds to the literature by providing empirical evidence regarding early learner perceptions of IPE experiences. Student expectations and benefits of their introductory IPE course/curriculum aligned. Perceived barriers are useful in informing future IPE implementation and research.

Evaluation of Inter-Professional Education (IPE) with medical, nursing and pharmacy students through a simulated IPL Educational Intervention.

Inter-Professional Education (IPE) is becoming an integral part of many professional programmes throughout the United Kingdom, ensuring health professionals are competent to work as part of an inter-professional team upon entry into their profession. IPE has become a fundamental component of curriculum content in health and social care degrees. Research aim - to evaluate a simulated IPE intervention. A one day IPE intervention, "Evening On-Call" was run involving nursing and medical students and pre-registration pharmacists (student pharmacists in year 5 of training) in an on-call setting. This IPE incorporated manikin and actor patients in a simulated ward. During the intervention, the 3 groups of students are assessed under observation on their clinical, prioritisation and communication skills. Participants perceptions of this intervention were evaluated by completion of a questionnaire to capture their perceptions regarding the experience, the pre-IPL briefing and post-IPL feedback and perceived relevance of this training. Free text sections collected additional comments and a follow-up questionnaire was sent 6months later. Initial questionnaire feedback was predominantly positive for each professional group. The majority perceived the simulated IPL had given them a greater understanding of other professionals' roles, had enhanced their professional confidence and would help them prioritise workload once qualified. The 6-months follow-up questionnaire supported the initial questionnaire findings. Some responses highlighted that participants believed the simulated IPL had helped them work more effectively with other healthcare professionals, communicate more effectively and better prioritise their workload. There may be some evidence of sustained self-reported effectiveness in teaching certain professional and clinical skills to participants using this type of simulated intervention.

Evaluating a large-scale introductory interprofessional education workshop for developing interprofessional socialisation in medical, nursing and pharmacy students: A quasi-experimental pre-test post-test study

BackgroundTraditionally, healthcare students have been educated in discipline-specific silos with minimal interprofessional socialisation. Interprofessional education is fundamental for interprofessional socialisation and is an essential component of healthcare education. ObjectivesTo evaluate the effect of a large-scale interprofessional workshop implemented for first year medical, nursing and pharmacy students on changes in attitudes towards interprofessional socialisation and its perceived value. DesignA quasi-experimental study design using pre and post questionnaires. SettingA Faculty of Medicine and Health at a large university in Australia. Participants1008 students from the 2018 and 2019 cohorts of pre-qualification first year medical students (n = 444), nursing (n = 461) and pharmacy (n = 103) enrolled in a graduate entry degree program participated in the workshop. Complete data sets were collected from 37.1% (n = 374) of the participants. MethodsThe short-form Interprofessional Socialisation and Valuing Scale (ISVS-9) was administered before and after the IPE workshop. Linear mixed models were used to compare both the within group and between group pre- and post- questionnaire data. Percentages and frequencies were used to analyse data pertaining to participants' perceptions and experience of the workshop. Descriptive qualitative analysis of free-text responses was undertaken. ResultsFindings indicated that 80.8% (n = 440) of participants rated their workshop experience as good/very good. 64.6% (n = 352) of participants reported that it had changed how they considered other health professionals. Significant higher (p < 0.001) post questionnaire mean scores were demonstrated for nursing (5.63, SE0.05) and pharmacy students (5.82, SE 0.11). ConclusionFindings provide support for the implementation of IPE for nursing, and pharmacy students. It is recommended that these initiatives are introduced at an early stage in their education to promote interprofessional socialisation and are repeated throughout the curricula.

Fostering Interprofessional Geriatric Patient Care Skills for Health Professions Students Through a Nursing Facility-Based Immersion Rotation.

IntroductionInterprofessional (IP) clinical care is ideally taught in authentic environments; however, training programs often lack authentic opportunities for health professions students to practice IP patient care. Skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) can offer such opportunities, particularly for geriatric patient care, but are underutilized as training sites. We present an IP nursing facility rotation (IP-SNF) in which medical, pharmacy, and physical therapy students provided collaborative geriatric patient care.MethodsOur 10-day immersion rotation focused on four geriatric competencies common to all three professions: appropriate/hazardous medications, patient self-care capacity, evaluating and treating falls, and IP collaboration. Activities included conducting medication reviews, quarterly care planning, evaluating functional status/fall risk, and presenting team recommendations at SNF meetings. Facility faculty/staff provided preceptorship and assessed team presentations. Course evaluations included students' pre/post objective-based self-assessment, as well as facility faculty/staff evaluations of interactions with students.ResultsThirty-two students (15 medical, 12 pharmacy, five physical therapy) participated in the first 2 years. Evaluations (n = 31) suggested IP-SNF filled gaps in students' geriatrics and IP education. Pre/post self-assessment showed significant improvement (p < .001) in self-confidence related to course objectives. Faculty/staff indicated students added value to SNF patient care. Challenges included maximizing patient care experiences while allowing adequate team work time.DiscussionIP-SNF showcases the feasibility of, and potential for, engaging learners in real-world IP geriatric patient care in a SNF. Activities and materials must be carefully designed and implemented to engage all levels/types of IP learners and ensure valuable learning experiences.

Gaining an Understanding of Interprofessional Roles and Responsibilities Among Pre-Professional Health Students

INTRODUCTION Interprofessional education (IPE) literature at the pre-professional health program level is limited. Exposing students to IPE prior to health professional program matriculation may increase students’ understanding of their chosen professions’ contributions to the health team as well as the role of other professions on the team. METHODS Summer Health Professions Education Program (SHPEP) participants from three institutions engaged in a six-week academic enrichment program, which required an IPE component. Prior to engagement in the IPE curricula, SHPEP participants were asked to complete a pre-survey. A component of the survey included the Student Perceptions of Interprofessional Clinical Education-Revised instrument, version 2 (SPICE-R2). Low pre-mean scores for the SPICE-R2 Roles and Responsibilities factor led to an exploratory research design asking participants to complete the following statement “My role on an interprofessional team is…” upon completion of the SHPEP program. RESULTS Nine topic areas were identified from 163 participant statements: 1) contribute to the team, 2) collaborating with the team; 3) lead the team; 4) patient-focus; 5) population health/public health; 6) listen to others; 7) respect contributions of other team members; 8) learn from others; and 9) refer to others. DISCUSSION Pre-professional health student participant responses were reflective of the U.S. Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) Roles and Responsibilities, Interprofessional Communication and Values and Ethics competencies. CONCLUSION Earlier presentation of IPE concepts allows students to develop a more comprehensive view of interprofessional roles. Results of this study demonstrate accurate learning of the IPEC RR competency and support integrating IPE experiences within academic enrichment programs for pre professional health students.

Students' Comprehension of the Roles of Allied Health Professionals

IntroductionInterprofessional education (IPE) is crucial for students in healthcare professional programs as they learn the roles and responsibilities of different professions within the healthcare system. However, most IPE studies focus on professional identity; very few focus on whether students are learning the professional roles of their own profession and colleagues'. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate whether first‐year allied health students could adequately identify the roles of occupational therapists (OT), physical therapists (PT), and physician assistants (PA) following an interprofessional anatomy course.MethodsAn IRB‐approved mixed methods study was conducted in a gross anatomy course for first semester allied health students at Indiana University in PA, PT, and OT programs. Students were asked to participate in a pre‐/post‐test survey which asked them to identify to which professional a patient in different scenarios should be referred as a measure of students' understanding of PA, PT, and OT roles in patient care. The percent of incorrect responses for each student cohort were evaluated using Wilcoxon Signed Rank and Kruskal‐Wallis tests. The survey also asked students to briefly summarize the roles of the three professions. These responses were qualitatively evaluated using thematic analysis. In a response to quantitative findings (outlined below), the definitions of the OTs' roles provided by the students were further compared to the definition provided by the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA).ResultsQuantitative results indicated that students had a better understanding of their own profession's role compared to the roles of the other two professions. More students struggled with identifying the roles of OT (p=0.016) than the roles of PA or PT. Lastly, participation in the interprofessional anatomy course did not significantly affect the students' ability to correctly identify to which health professional the patient should be referred (p=0.729). Qualitative results revealed a vast majority of the OT students' definitions correlated with three major themes from the AOTA's definition: helping with activities of daily living, tasks based on patient's goals, and coping with life changes after injury. PA and PT students' answers had more variation and fewer specific phrases found within the AOTA definition, however most responses mentioned helping patients with activities of daily living and coping after permanent injuries. Both PA and PT students had multiple responses identifying treating hand or upper limb deficits as an important role of OTs, although the AOTA and most OT students did not reference this theme.ConclusionsOverall, PA and PT students were found to be less familiar with the roles that OTs play within the healthcare system. Since the OT field recently began transitioning towards a doctoral‐level single point of entry profession in 2014, it is not surprising that the students had less familiarity with the roles of OTs. Ongoing analyses will include thematic analyses of the definitions of PTs and PAs, and further investigation of role formation and identification within first year allied health students.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.

Student Perceptions of Collaboration Skills in an Interprofessional Context: Development and Initial Validation of the Self-Assessed Collaboration Skills Instrument.

An integral component of interprofessional education (IPE) is the development of a collaboration-ready health-care workforce. While collaboration is a fundamental element of IPE, there is no existing measure of collaboration skills that is not context specific. This article describes the development and initial validation of the Self-Assessed Collaboration Skills (SACS) measure. Items were initially drawn from the Collaboration Skills Assessment Tool rubric, an educational assessment tool. The SACS measure was piloted in a sample of students in an introductory IPE course. Following scale revision, the SACS was piloted a second time in a sample of students in an IPE health systems course and then validated in a sample of students in an introductory IPE course. Exploratory factor analysis was used to assess scale factor structure in Pilots 1 and 2 and confirmatory factor analysis to confirm factor structure in the validation sample. Convergent and discriminant validity were also assessed. The final SACS measure is an 11-item scale consisting of three dimensions of collaboration: information sharing, learning, and team support. The SACS measure demonstrates high internal consistency and both convergent and discriminant validity as a measure of collaboration. The SACS can be implemented in any setting for assessing collaboration in clinical and nonclinical contexts.

Perceptions of Health Sciences Students of an Introductory Interprofessional Education Course

Abstract Date Presented 4/1/2017 Interprofessional education allows for effective collaborative practice by educating health care professionals to work together to produce patient-centered care. As health care moves to a team approach, it is important for higher education to prepare students before they enter the clinical environment. Primary Author and Speaker: Joy Doll Additional Authors and Speakers: Liz Torrez Contributing Authors: Joe Paul Castillo, Trent Gahl, Joua Vang, Jessica Womack

Effects of a Short Interprofessional Education Orientation Program on Student Attitudes Towards Interprofessional Education

Abstract Date Presented 3/31/2017 This presentation describes a model introductory interprofessional education program for graduate students in nursing, pharmacy, and physical and occupational therapy. Results regarding students’ attitudes toward interprofessional education, and specifically their understanding of roles, are reviewed. Primary Author and Speaker: Debra Gibbs Contributing Authors: Suzanne Greenwalt, Lindsay Hahn, Lucyellen Dahlgren

Does Interprofessional Education Influence Self-Efficacy and Cultural Competence in Pre-Clinical Doctor of Physical Therapy Students?

This article was migrated. The article was not marked as recommended. IntroductionInterprofessional education (IPE) promotes collaboration among health professionals to combat health disparities. This study explored differences in self-efficacy and cultural competence among a sample of preclinical entry-level Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students based on curriculum format (traditional or IPE) and examined differences in age and gender as related to self-efficacy and cultural competence. Methods This cross sectional study design assessed differences in self-reported levels of self-efficacy and cultural competence. 218 entry-level DPT students enrolled in a traditional (n=109) or IPE (n=109) curricula from 6 different universities was used for analysis.ResultsThe IPE group (M = 65.2) rated significantly higher in self-efficacy than the traditional group (M = 62.2, p = .002). No significant differences (p = .103) in cultural competence were observed between traditional and IPE curricula; however, relationships between age and gender (p = .001) were observed.DiscussionSelf-efficacy is a valuable construct in the success of healthcare students and differences between curricula types and self-efficacy scores were identified. Similar cultural competence scores for the groups may indicate the need for specific graduate-level measurement methods.ConclusionsIPE curricula may increase self-efficacy among DPT students prior to clinical internship and result in better-prepared interprofessional team members.

Building and expanding interprofessional teaching teams.

INTRODUCTION Interprofessional education (IPE) aims to prepare learners to work in collaborative health-care teams. The University of Otago, Wellington has piloted, developed and expanded an IPE programme since 2011. An interprofessional teaching team has developed alongside this programme. AIMS This study aimed to understand the development of a university-based interprofessional teaching team over a 4-year period and generate insights to aid the development of such teams elsewhere. METHODS Two semi-structured audio-recorded educator focus groups were conducted at key times in the development of the IPE programme in 2011 and 2014. The programme focused on long-term condition management and involved students from dietetics, medicine, physiotherapy and radiation therapy. Focus group transcripts were independently analysed by two researchers using Thematic Analysis to identify broad themes. Initial themes were compared, discussed and combined to form a thematic framework. The thematic framework was verified by the education team and subsequently updated and reorganised. RESULTS Three key themes emerged: (i) development as an interprofessional educator; (ii) developing a team; and (iii) risk and reward. Teaching in an interprofessional environment was initially daunting but confidence increased with experience. Team teaching highlighted educators' disciplinary roles and skill sets and exposed educators to different teaching approaches. Educators perceived they modelled team development processes to students through their own development as a team. Interprofessional teaching was challenging to organise but participation was rewarding. Programme expansion increased the risks and complexity, but also acted as a stimulus for development and energised the teaching team. DISCUSSION Interprofessional teaching is initially challenging but ultimately enriching. Interprofessional teaching skills take time to develop and perspectives of role change over time. Educator team development is aided by commitment, understanding, enthusiasm, leadership and trust.