The State of Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice in Ghana: Experts’ Perspective

Authors

• Amy Bening, College of Health and Well-being KintampoFollow
• Victor Mogre, Department of Health Professions Education and Innovative Learning, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University for Development Studies, GhanaFollow
• Yolande Heymans, North-West UniversityFollow
• Christmal Dela Christmals, North-West UniversityFollow

Abstract

ABSTRACT

Purpose: Interprofessional education (IPE) has gained recognition as the best form of preparing health professionals for Interprofessional Collaborative Practice (IPCP) in the healthcare settings. As such, many countries have inculcated IPE into the training of health professionals, but the state of IPE in the Ghana is unknown. Therefore, this study sought to explore the state of IPE and IPCP in Ghana.

Methods: The study employed a qualitative descriptive study in which 16 key informants were interviewed, and data was thematically analysed to describe the state of IPE and IPCP in Ghana.

Results: Three themes were identified and described: IPCP in health practice, the nature of health professions education, and the needed resources for IPE and IPCP. Health professions education and practice in Ghana is not keeping pace with the rest of the world regarding incorporating IPE in health professions training and IPCP in practice although opportunities exist. This is due to critical resource constraints, such as lack of IPE programmes and trained personnel to champion IPE. The Ghanaian setting is conducive to collaborative practice with an informed workforce with the potential to implement IPE if given the necessary resources.

Conclusion: A policy on IPE and IPCP is critical to facilitating the use of opportunities available in implementing IPE in the training of health professions students.

How could this topic be generalized to other health professions?

Health professions educators and Clinician could learn from the strategies used to implement IPE concepts and the forms of IPC outlined by experts in this article

Which allied health professions were a part of the study or investigated?

Nursing; Health Studies; Public Health

Recommended Citation

Bening, A., Mogre, V., Heymans, Y., & Christmals, C. D. (2026). The State of Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice in Ghana: Experts’ Perspective. Journal of Interprofessional Practice and Collaboration, 6(2). Retrieved from https://repository.ulm.edu/ojihp/vol6/iss2/2