Assessing campus implementation of interprofessional education: a cross-case analysis using relational coordination leadership

Abstract

Introduction: Learners across health professions develop collaborative competencies that facilitate the development of their professional and interprofessional identities. At Creighton University (CU), two distinct campuses (Omaha and Phoenix) engage in interprofessional education (IPE) under the leadership of one interprofessional center. Authors sought to identify organizational strengths and challenges in implementing IPE and assess if perceptions of IPE differ between campuses.  Relational coordination (RC) leadership theory was used as a lens for the assessment.

Methods: A cross-case analysis was implemented to evaluate the collaborative culture and structure of IPE at CU. The evaluation was approached in two phases, utilizing the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) Institutional Assessment Instrument. Phase one began with faculty in the Center for Interprofessional Education, Practice and Research (CIPER) collating responses to instrument items specific to the overarching responsibilities of CIPER, not dependent on campus location. The second phase utilized a survey, distributed to a target population of 130 university employees in Omaha and Phoenix with decision making power or active roles in IPE. Six instrument items from the IPEC Institutional Assessment Instrument with the potential to vary between campus locations and two open ended questions were included in the survey. Quantitative and qualitative data was collected for analysis.

Results:  Phase one revealed consensus on several strengths and challenges related to institutional infrastructure, institutional commitment, and an integrated IPEC framework shared across campuses. Phase two of the analysis, received a 47.7% response rate (62/130), and quantitative and qualitative data revealed a strong presence of shared university IPE institutional infrastructure, interprofessional commitment, and IPEC competency framework. Significant differences were found between the two campuses related to long-term institutional commitment and the advancement of interprofessional learning into the mission, vision, or goals of the university.

Discussion: Challenges to implementing IPE across campuses may include physical proximity, faculty workload, and leadership buy-in. Relational coordination leadership was supported by an internal, centrally managed interprofessional center with representation across disciplines and shared responsibilities and financial resources. Future research should include an evaluation of the impact of these challenges on the student experience and student outcomes across campuses and health professions.