Interprofessional education and collaborative practice in health and social care: the need for transdisciplinary mindsets, instruments and mechanisms

The science policy of today strengthens a specialization drift within disciplines in the field of health and social care. If we put human health in the focus rather than professional identities, then a rethinking of higher education is necessary, in which a dynamic interplay should be possible between disciplines. The chapter highlights the focus of collaborative practice and the essence of interprofessional education. The role of the government in stimulating collaboration, and the role of the higher education landscape is discussed. There is a need for developing and implementing elements and tools for effective interprofessional teamwork, both in science and in clinical interventions. Among these are competence frameworks and tools for assessing and fostering these competences, but also guidelines and standards for clinical paths in which different professions need to collaborate, and tools making this collaboration more effective, such as the shared care planning matrix. Finally the chapter stresses the need to assure the acquisition of interprofessional competences in graduating health care professionals