Quality care consists of meeting a client’s healthcare needs and goals. Rarely is there a clinical setting where only one health professional can meet all of the healthcare needs of a client. Mental health, rehabilitation, cancer care, aged care, private practice and chronic disease management are a few of the areas where healthcare providers require teamwork and collaboration to progress client care. Each of these environments could be utilised as an IPE forum.
Some examples of Queensland ‘purpose built’ interprofessional learning environments
Queensland Health - Capricornia Student Led Clinic
Conducted in Rockhampton, Central Queensland, this student led clinic addresses the needs of clients facing chronic disease. Students included Dietitians and Nutritionists, Occupational Therapists, Podiatrists, Exercise Physiology, Pharmacy and Social Work practitioners. A full evaluation of the clinic was completed and can be used as a basis for setting up clinics.
They have also provided a toolkit for other clinical settings who may be considering starting a student-led clinic including recommendations and initial assessment and evaluation forms.
UQ Health Care student assisted clinics
UQ Health Care run clinics in Ipswich, Meadowbrook and Woolloongabba and through a Health Workforce Australia Clinical Training Placement funded project have developed a range of student assisted programs. These programs include interprofessional screenings, assessment, and interventions focused on Aged and Chronic Disease – the ‘Your Life Your Health’ Program – and Child Wellbeing – the ‘Child Wellbeing’ program. An interprofessional education model is used to underpin the supervision provided to students while on placements.
Mt Isa Centre for Rural and Remote Health
Katherine Galligan and Sabina Knight present the Mt Isa Centre student led neurological rehabilitation program at the National Rural Health Conference. This program is predominantly physiotherapy and occupational therapy students undertaking hospital in-reach, centre based and outreach services.
Student assisted clinics to support neurological rehabilitation in remote Queensland
This is a joint program between James Cook University, Mt Isa Centre for Rural and Remote Health, Community Rehab Northern Queensland and Townsville Mackay Medicare Local and Central and North West Queensland Medicate Local providing community based rehabilitation services in the North West Queensland region for people with neurological and ageing conditions through a student led service. This example utilised services from Physiotherapy, Pharmacy, Occupational Therapy and Speech Pathology. Take a look at their report ''Interprofessional, student-assisted clinics: a solution for neurological rehab in remote Queensland?" for more details
Additional examples from around Australia
Edith Cowen University Interprofessional learning through simulation. This is a bank of multidisciplinary/interprofessional scenarios that you could link your student with to enhance their understanding of IP practice.
Monash Peninsula Health Increasing capacity through student led clinics.
Health Education and Training (HETI) have a series of resources and examples of Interprofessional Education in their 'Placement Models and Opportunities' section of their website.
IPE within Target Areas
For more information regarding interprofessional learning within the specific practice areas of Mental Health, Rural and Remote, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and Aged Care, follow the relevant links below.
Mental Health
Rural and Remote
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People
Aged Care
