Skip to Main Content

Interprofessional practice

Learn what interprofessional practice is and gain an understanding with key readings.

Definition

Interprofessional practice is the current industry terminology that is used to refer to “two or more professions working together as a team with a common purpose, commitment and mutual respect” (Freeth et al. 2005, cited in Dunston et al., 2009, p. 6).

The teams in which the professionals may operate may be described as:

  • Interdisciplinary
  • Multidisciplinary
  • Transdisciplinary

Dunston, R., Lee, A., Lee, A., Matthews, L., Nisbet, G., Pockett, R., Thistlethwaite, J., & White, J. (2009). Interprofessional health education in Australia: The way forward. Retrieved from http://www.rilc.uts.edu.au/pdfs/wayforward.pdf

Reading for understanding

To gain an understanding of these different types of interprofessional teams start with the following publications:

Jessup, R. (2007). Interdisciplinary versus multidisciplinary care teams: Do we understand the difference? Australian Health Review, 31(3), 330-331.

Higgs, J., McAllister, L., & Sefton, A. (2012). Chapter 1: Communication in the health sciences. In J. Higgs, R. Ajjawi, L. McAllister, F. Trede, & S. Loftus (Eds.), Communicating in the health sciences (3rd ed., pp. 4-14). Melbourne, Vic.: Oxford University Press.

Portsmouth, L., Coyle, J., & Trede, F. (2012). Chapter 27: Working as a member of a health team. In J. Higgs, R. Ajjawi, L. McAllister, F. Trede, & S. Loftus (Eds.), Communicating in the health sciences (3rd ed., pp. 271-279). Melbourne, Vic.: Oxford University Press.

Stone, N. (2007). Coming in from the interprofessional cold in Australia. Australian Health Review, 31(3), 332-340.

World Health Organization. (2010). Framework for action on interprofessional education and collaborative practice. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/hrh/resources/framework_action/en/index.html