Practitioner perceptions of interprofessional practice (IPP) in small rural communities: An exploratory, qualitative study

The quality of life and the economic viability of rural communities are dependent on high-quality healthcare, which can result from interprofessional practice (IPP) that employs the IPEC Core Competencies. Health profession students can acquire these competencies during supervised clinical education experiences. Since little is known about IPP in rural areas, researchers conducted focus groups in four small communities to gain perceptions of health care providers and administrators about how IPP is operationalized in rural healthcare systems. Data were coded and analyzed using a complex dynamic systems model for team effectiveness. Respondents identified the presence of several requisite components of IPP. Absent was evidence of explicit strategies for continuous quality improvement of team processes and team responsibility for improving population health. Using a complex dynamic system model to evaluate rural IPP could identify and promote the acquisition of knowledge and skills associated with IPP and assist academic and clinical educators in developing curricular content to prepare students to learn the competencies to effectively promote the delivery of IPP in underserved rural communities.