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Our philosophy of research

Since its earliest inception in 2011, the IPE Centre has committed to an active research platform on interprofessional education (IPE) and interprofessional collaborative practice (IPCP) and has embedded research throughout its activities.

Research is undertaken across a number of sites where students engage in IPE and encounter collaborative health professional practice: campus, workplace, community or hospital settings.

Research efforts support different levels of knowledge: evaluative and continuous improvement processes in the longitudinal IPE curriculum at Otago; strategic transformation efforts in the national health education and health care sectors where integration of IPE and IPCP is seen as high-priority; and contributions to the international evidence base for, and innovation in, IPE and IPCP.

The focus of our research has changed, and continues to change, over time and this is reflected in the publications authored by staff directly or indirectly associated with the Centre.

IPE publications

The IPE Centre convenes national webinars to share research and thinking about IPE; and its members present their work at national and international forums and conferences.  The Centre is represented nationally through the National Centre for Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice (NCIPECP), and internationally through its members who participate in the activities of the Australian and New Zealand Association for Health Professional Educators (ANZAHPE), and the Australasian Interprofessional Practice and Education Network (AIPPEN) which is a stakeholder of IPR.Global.

We welcome opportunities to collaborate with others, contact us:
Email hs.ipe@otago.ac.nz

Research projects

All in 4 IPE: Practice architectures in interprofessional health professions education (2023-26)

Funded by the Swedish Research Council, this research is a collaboration between researchers from:

The project is designed as an international, collaborative, exploratory, qualitative multiple-case study and in Aotearoa is being undertaken in Greymouth with the Te Tai o Poutini IPE programme.
Visit Te Tai o Poutini IPE programme

The aims of the study are to:

  • Identify how IPE in clinical placements emerges and evolves when embedded in local health care practices in the northern and southern hemispheres
  • Identify dimensions critical for design of IPE across the multiple cases

The Aotearoa research team is:
Eileen McKinlay
Linda Gulliver
Sonya Morgan
Julie Myers

Patient as  teacher study (2022–24)

This project is funded by the IPE Centre and is being undertaken in Palmerston North. It aims to explore the experiences of patients taking part in an IPE learning activity where patients serve as teachers. The topic of the IPE learning activity is Cancer and Life-Limiting Illness Care.

Cancer and life-limiting Illness care (PDF)

The research team is:
Eileen McKinlay
Marla Burrows
Melissa Higson
Sonya Morgan

IPE Burns escape room research

A research grant application for this project is under consideration.

Completed studies

View our publications in the Centre for Interprofessional Education Collection (OURarchive)

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