Why is Interprofessional Practice (IPP) Important in Health Care?

The U.S. health care system is moving toward paying for value and outcomes rather than volume of services provided. If you work in a health care setting, interprofessional practice (IPP) teams are critical to improving your patients’ experience and outcomes as well as lowering costs.

In most health care settings, one clinician providing the best care for their patient is not enough. Patients typically see health care professionals from a variety of specialties. This is where team-based care comes in. However, just working on a team doesn’t necessarily improve your patients’ outcomes. In fact, when medical professionals do not communicate effectively, they can produce more errors, duplicate assessments or other services, and drive up costs. The IPP framework provides an organized approach to care and helps medical teams work better together. Better teamwork means fewer errors, better use of resources, and better patient outcomes.

If audiologists and SLPs do not participate in IPP teams, you may not be able to advocate for the overall needs of your patients.

Learn how the Head and Neck Center team at GBMC collaborate with one another to achieve better patient care and outcomes along with greater job satisfaction among the IPP team.

Learn more about IPP in a health care setting

To learn more about IPP in health care, read about the benefits and see the following case studies.

Case Study: Team Helps Patient Regain Hearing, Balance, and Autonomy After Cochlear Implant 

After recovering from meningitis, a 72-year-old man continued to suffer from hearing loss and severe dizziness. Struggling with daily activities, he sought information from a team of professionals regarding a cochlear implant (CI) and help improving his daily life. After the implant surgery, the IPP team helped the man navigate life with the device and regain his balance.

Case Study: Team Helps Head Injury Patient Address Hearing and Memory Issues

In this case, a rehabilitation team developed a treatment plan for a 55-year-old man with memory and hearing loss, tinnitus, episodic vertigo, and headaches following a closed head injury. By working across specialties, the team created and executed a plan that helped resolve the dizziness and addressed his hearing and memory problems.

Case Study: IPP Team Develops Rehabilitation Plan for Patient Recovering from Stroke 

A team of professionals collaborated across specialties to help a 78-year-old woman after a stroke. The team was able to develop and implement a plan to help her increase participation in activities of daily living (ADLs) and improve her ability to communicate by using an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) board.