What Is Interprofessional Education (IPE)?

Interprofessional education occurs when two or more professions learn about, from, and with each other to enable effective collaboration and improve health outcomes, as defined by the World Health Organization.

The ultimate goal of IPE is for students to grow into collaborative practitioners and engage in interprofessional practice in their respective fields. Interprofessional practice in health-care is vital to providing comprehensive care and recognizes that multiple health professions, patients, their families, carers and communities must all work together to deliver the highest quality of care.

The goals of Interprofessional Education and Practice include improved patient outcomes, reduced healthcare costs, improved patient and provider experience, and health equity, known as the "Quintuple Aim."

IPE at Marquette University

At Marquette, interprofessional education correlates with the Jesuit principle of cura personalis, or care for the whole person. Students in the health professions learn collaborative practices and gain understanding of their roles on a health care team, recognizing that care for the whole person requires a whole care team. The university's Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice Committee partners with faculty to create valuable educational experiences for all students, focused on outcomes defined by the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) Core Competencies.

Competency Domain 1:	Values & Ethics
Competency Domain 2:	Roles & Responsibilities
Competency Domain 3:	Communication
Competency Domain 4:	Teams & Teamwork

The “Core4” series at Marquette provides foundational learning in each of the IPEC core competency domains. Students from multiple health professions programs work in teams, broadening their understanding of each other's professional priorities and practices. Each team focuses on collaborative activities, while also gaining unique insights from their interprofessional cohort.In addition to the Core4 series, students in a variety of programs engage in IPE special topics courses that offer unique experiential learning sessions focused on a team approach to healthcare. Recent special topics include pregnancy and dental health, the opioid crisis, and temporomandibular joint disorder, among others.

List of participating programs

• Athletic Training
• Counseling Psychology
• Dentistry
• Medical Laboratory Science
• Nursing
• Occupational Therapy
• Physical Therapy
• Physician Assistant Studies
• Speech Language Pathology