4. Regional Placement Facilitator in Physiotherapy

Abstract: Inter Professional Education (IPE) is not commonplace within Ireland. This paper presents the development and practical application of an IPE placement experience initiated by the University of Limerick. Several factors contributed to its development, including the establishment of posts based within several universities and the health service specifically to facilitate placement education. The MAGPIE model (Meet, Assess, Goal-Set, Plan, Implement and Evaluate) was used as a platform for the case-based IPE sessions involving Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy students. Each student experienced 10.5 hours of discussion-based inter-professional activity within a placement and presented an inter-professional case study. The IPE experience was evaluated via focus groups involving students, practice educators and placement facilitators. Strengths of the experience included increased motivation, improved team working skills and development of a greater understanding of professional roles. Recommendations to enhance future case-based IPE sessions are identified