Medical Education

Accreditation of Interprofessional Health Education (AIPHE)

A partnership of eight national organizations that accredit pre-licensure education for six health professions in Canada will collaborate in a 1 ½ year project to create and support the use of core joint principles/guidelines in formulating standards for interprofessional education.

Interprofessional education occurs when two or more professions learn with, from   and about each other to improve collaboration and the quality of care. Interprofessional education develops competencies in group decision-making, teamwork, conflict resolution, shared leadership and other knowledge, attitudes and skills that prepare students for collaborative patient-centred practice.

The Partnership, representing the disciplines of physiotherapy, occupational therapy, pharmacy, social work, nursing and medicine, will consult with a wider range of stakeholders to develop principles/guidelines for use in formulating standards for their organizations and promoting their use among other stakeholders. The partnership also will share knowledge about the value of interprofessional education and best practices in program accreditation review processes. Activities include two joint steering committee-advisory group meetings, and a forum on accreditation of interprofessional education for stakeholders from the six participating professions.

Project documents and the web site will be more widely promoted through meetings, conferences and partner networks. Products include a background paper, joint core accreditation principles/guidelines, a resource on accreditation review processes (best practices) and a forum report.