Letters

Putting patients first will help interprofessional education

EDITORWe read Finch's paper on interprofessional education with interest but were surprised that there was little reference to the needs of patients.¹ We too struggle with the definition and true meaning of interprofessional and with the logistical barriers to getting learners, both before and after qualification, together. The regional collaborative of the NHS Executive South West recently defined interprofessional learning and development as a process in which two or more professional groups come together and learn from and about each other in order to develop collaborative practice and achieve health improvements.²

Finch continues the traditional divide between higher education and those providing the service, but there is a need to take a systemic view and see interprofesssional working as the way we work together, not just something we teach students. When interprofessional teams work together with a focus on developing or redesigning a service to improve the way they meet the needs of their patients, much significant learning happens. If our learners put meeting the needs of their patients or clients at the heart of their drive for improvement, they will naturally work interprofessionally, with different professionals complementing and supporting each other.³

By guiding teams to reflect on this process of working togetherfor example, by using the methods of continuous quality improvementthe different professionals in the team become aware of the roles and underpinning values and models of both their own profession and those with which they are working. Nurses, doctors, or social workers will understand more about their professional identity, as well as learning about the strengths, perspectives, and skills of their fellow professionals. The true interprofessional team is not a seamless garment of nondescript khaki but a colourful patchwork with strong seams holding the whole together, as advocated by Heath.⁴

Our challenge is to give learners the opportunity to work in vibrant and effective interprofessional teams, actively improving the service patients receive, and also to give them space and guidance to reflect and learn from the experience. Our experience so far shows us that overcoming the logistical barriers is worth while for the learners recognise the relevance of learning where the driver and integrator is continuously improving the match between what they provide and the needs of those who depend on them.⁵

Charles Campion-Smith, general practitioner. 
Peter Wilcock, chartered clinical psychologist. 
Institute of Health and Community Studies, Bournemouth University, Royal London House, Christchurch Road, Bournemouth BH1 3LT