Development and validation of the IPEC Institutional Assessment Instrument

Abstract

Background

Variability in the widespread utilization and implementation of the Interprofessional Education Collaborative's (IPEC) competency framework has highlighted the importance of institutional characteristics that serve as barriers and/or facilitators to progress, as well as the absence of evidence-based assessment instruments designed to measure related constructs.

Purpose

Develop and validate an assessment instrument that leverages the IPEC competency framework to identify institutional characteristics associated with successful implementation of high-quality programmatic interprofessional education (IPE).

Method

A 16-member expert panel used a modified Delphi technique to generate consensus statements regarding institutional characteristics associated with high-quality programmatic IPE, which were converted into a pool of items for potential inclusion in the instrument. A convenience sample of individuals who serve as the designated IPE leader at their academic institutions voluntarily submitted responses to these items on behalf of their institutions, and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was utilized to identify a preliminary model structure for the instrument.

Results

105 consensus statements across eight categories – culture, leadership, financing, infrastructure, partnerships, faculty affairs, curricular affairs, and IPEC competency framework – were developed by the expert panel, then transformed into 48 potential instrument items. 158 designated IPE leaders submitted responses as institutional representatives, and EFA yielded a 20-item model structure comprised of three factors: Institutional Infrastructure, Institutional Commitment, and IPEC Competency Framework.

Conclusions

Leaders of academic institutions are encouraged to utilize the 20-item IPEC Institutional Assessment Instrument alongside the 105 expert-generated consensus statements it is based upon to assess their institutional capacity for high-quality programmatic IPE and to plan for quality improvement.