Inter-professional Education
For health workers to collaborate effectively and improve health outcomes, two or more from different professional backgrounds must first be provided with opportunities to learn about, from and with each other. This Interprofessional education is essential to the development of a "collaborative practice-ready" health workforce, one in which staff work together to provide comprehensive services in a wide range of health-care settings. It is within these settings where the greatest strides towards strengthened health systems can be made.
Health education schools must consider how to best integrate oral health into the curriculum and oral health aligns naturally with interprofessional education.
For additional information and resources on Interprofessional Education, see the Smiles for Life Interprofessional Education (IPE) tool kit in the resources section.