“There’s No Room for Silos.” Interprofessional Education in Hospital to Home Integrated Care Programs

Introduction: Interprofessional education (IPE) is critical for training health and social care providers and building workforce capacity for integrated care. This paper reports key informants’ descriptions of IPE in training existing health care professionals to work in hospital to home integrated care programs in Ontario Canada.

Method: Utilizing a qualitative descriptive approach, 13 interviews were conducted with leaders of integrated care programs across the province. Data analysis employed a thematic analysis approach. Findings were interpreted through the lens of an interprofessional learning continuum model and competencies for integrated care.

Results: Formal and informal IPE within the integrated care programs can support competency development (e.g., role clarity, communication, and teamwork) for interprofessional practice within hospital to home integrated care programs. Key informants acknowledged the importance of cross sector IPE to understand patient care trajectories and provider roles more fully.

Discussion: The findings can inform future IPE programs and initiatives to enhance workforce capacity for integrated care.

Implications for Education and Practice

1. To prepare future health care providers (HCPs) to work in integrated care, it is important to include IPE and integrated care concepts/principles in formal academic training and offer student placements within established integrated care programs to facilitate learning and competencies early in their career.
2. There’s no room for siloed approaches. IPE within and across health sectors can help health care providers understand the focus of the integrated care program (e.g., patient pathways, referrals) and the roles and responsibilities of various team members.
3. IPE in academic and practice settings should include content related to teamwork competencies, principles for collaborative practice, and foundations of integrated care.