Ethics and Interprofessional Education:An Exploration Across Health Professions Education Programs

Classroom-based ethics education, in health professions education programs at a university in the United States, was explored in a pilot study to determine a basis for creating an interprofessional experience for ethics education. Course faculty were interviewed using a semi-structured guide, and data were qualitatively analyzed. There was some overlap, but more variation, across the programs with regard to content covered, learning objectives, and pedagogy. An opportunity exists for greater comprehensiveness and consistency across the programs. Drawing on the results of our study, we propose an approach to interprofessional education for ethics. This approach includes interprofessional small group discussions focused on management strategies for ethical dilemmas relevant to all represented healthcare professions. Ethics is an ideal starting point for interprofessional education, because it is central to all health professions' education and practice.