There is growing recognition of the importance of interprofessional education and practice in improving health care and reducing costs. However, there is also concern that limited opportunities are available for clinicians to gain experience in such collaborative care. One nurse-led, interprofessional collaborative practice model, which was developed to provide primary care to a medically indigent population, has led to enhanced learning and understanding among experienced clinicians from various disciplines.

The team-based model included clinicians from nursing, medicine, optometry, nutrition, mental health, social work, and informatics, as well as undergraduate nursing students and graduate students from various disciplines. Staff members participated in morning huddles and afternoon postconferences. Evaluators conducted structured interviews with 25 clinicians at the beginning of the project and at the end of years 2 and 3.

At the beginning of the project, half the participants reported that they hadn't had any formal training or instruction in interprofessional collaborative practice and had a limited understanding of the concept. At years 2 and 3, they demonstrated an understanding of interprofessional collaborative practice competencies, said these competencies benefited both providers and patients, and noted that their understanding was reinforced by seeing these competencies implemented in practice. The majority of participants reported that previously they had infrequent interactions with providers in other disciplines, such as optometry and nutrition.

Their understanding and appreciation of other team members' roles improved over time, enhancing communication among clinicians from different disciplines and, according to the authors, leading to more comprehensive patient care. By the end of the program, many participants expressed a preference for working within an interprofessional collaborative practice model of care.

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