Interprofessional Care Project FAQs
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Frequently Asked Questions
Interprofessional Care FAQs
Blueprint FAQs
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What is interprofessional care and what is it addressing?
Interprofessional care is the provision of comprehensive health services to patients by multiple health caregivers who work collaboratively to deliver quality care within and across settings. Interprofessional care is by no means a new idea. Health care teams (i.e. family health teams, palliative care, critical care) are currently practicing interprofessional care.
Interprofessional care aims to change the way the health care system works by ensuring that health caregivers work collaboratively to place patients and families at the centre of the health care system. The collaborative approach enhances care delivery for the patient and contributes to improved job satisfaction for the health care provider.
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Who will lead interprofessional care?
Interprofessional approach requires partnership and collaboration from multiple stakeholders across the health care and education systems, including frontline health caregivers, patients and families. In order for interprofessional care to be implemented successfully, everyone must work together to ensure that the processes and systems are in place to support an interprofessional care environment.
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What is the evidence that interprofessional care will benefit the health care and education systems and patients?
There is mounting evidence that supports the efficacy of interprofessional care. An interprofessional care environment offers less fragmentation in service delivery, a more seamless approach to providing services and less stress on the patient and their family since their care is handled by an integrated team.
Providers see improvements in patient morbidity and mortality. Interprofessional care has also been shown to help contribute to reduction in clinical and administrative errors, better coordination, enhanced working environments, better staff morale and increased patient satisfaction.
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What is the Blueprint?
The Blueprint is the document developed by the IPC Project Steering Committee. It outlines action-oriented priorities that will facilitate the implementation of interprofessional care in Ontario. The Blueprint provides direction, based on consensus from stakeholders, for how interprofessional care can be implemented within the health care and education systems.
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How were the steering committee and working group participants selected?
Subject matter experts were identified from a wide variety of constituencies, including professional associations, unions, regulatory bodies, community agencies and student groups. The Steering Committee selected working group participants. Members of the Steering Committee did not represent specific health care or education organizations, but were selected because of their experience and expertise in a particular sector/field.
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What will happen with the recommendations in the Blueprint?
The recommendations will be reviewed carefully, with a view to working in partnership with the health care and education sectors to implement them. The Blueprint is made available to everyone so that all members of the health care and education systems, including health caregivers and organizations, can review its content and act on the recommendations. It is expected that the collaboration and partnership that helped create the Blueprint will continue as we move forward with implementing the recommendations across the health care and education sectors.
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How does the Blueprint's approach differ from models that already practice IPC?
The Blueprint’s approach calls for a coordinated, systemic approach involving multiple stakeholders and health caregivers.
The Blueprint builds on existing programs within the current health care and education systems and provides an opportunity to expand on current models, such as palliative care, critical care and family health teams. Other models will certainly be explored to determine their systemic applicability.
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How will the Blueprint be implemented in Ontario?
Implementation of the Blueprint needs to evolve over time starting at the practice level. Everyone has a vested interest in seeing a fully functioning and coordinated health care system. Wherever possible, current resources and programs will be coordinated and linked to avoid duplication.
Partnership, collaboration and communication are needed to guide and make effective systemic changes to the health care system. The responsibility for supporting the changes that are necessary to create more interprofessional care environments will require effort from all stakeholders, including health caregivers, educators, administrators, patients and families.
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How will the Blueprint be applied within the current health care and education systems?
Partnership, collaboration and communication are necessary to apply the strategies and actions outlined in the Blueprint. The information sharing and stakeholder consultation process will continue in an effort to create mechanisms to apply the recommendations.
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How can I participate in the implementation of the Blueprint?
Sharing the Blueprint with your colleagues is one step. Identifying strategies that can be immediately implemented in your environment is another. Feel free to contact the IPC Project at ipcproject@healthforceontario.ca to share your ideas and comments about implementation and how you can participate.
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What resources are available to adopt the Blueprint’s recommendations in my environment?
In the Fall 2007, processes will be established to help organizations and individuals implement interprofessional care strategies. Resources can take many forms, including providing guidance and expertise, conducting training and workshops and knowledge transfer activities. More information will become available in the coming months.
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How can I be kept informed about the Blueprint activities?
Up-to-date information about the Blueprint activities can be found at www.healthforceontario.ca or by emailing ipcproject@healthforceontario.ca.
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