title: Interprofessional education in primary care for the elderly: a pilot study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Dutch health care system faces huge challenges with regard to the demand on elderly care and the competencies of nurses and physicians required to meet this demand.At present, the main focus of health care in the Netherlands lies on illness and treatment. However, (frail) elderly need care and support that takes their daily functioning and well-being into consideration as well. Therefore, health care professionals, especially those professionals working in primary care such as GPs and practice nurses, will be challenged to a paradigm shift in emphasis from treating illness to promoting health (healthy ageing). Interprofessional education is necessary to realise this shift in professional behaviour. Evidence indicates that interprofessional education (IPE) can play a pivotal role in enhancing the competencies of professionals in order to provide elderly care that is both effectively, integrated and well-coordinated. At present, however, IPE in primary care is rarely utilised in the Netherlands. Therefore, the aim of this pilot study was to develop an IPE program for GPs and practice nurses and to evaluate the feasibility of an IPE program for professionals with different educational backgrounds and its effect on the division of professionals' tasks and responsibilities.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten GPs and 10 practice nurses from eight primary care practices in two provinces in the north of the Netherlands, Groningen and Drenthe (total population about 1.1 million people), participated in the pilot IPE program. A mixed methods design including quantitative and qualitative methods was used to evaluate the IPE program.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the program, tasks and responsibilities, in particular those related to the care plan, shifted from GP to practice nurse. The participants' attitude toward elderly (care) changed and the triage instrument, the practical tool for prioritising preferences of the elderly and discussing their medication use, was considered to have an added value to the development of the care plan.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this pilot study show that an interprofessional education program for professionals with different educational backgrounds (GPs and practice nurses) is feasible and has an added value to the redefining of tasks and responsibilities among GPs and practice nurses.
authors.affiliation: Wenckebach Institute, School of Nursing and Health, University Medical Centre Groningen, University of Groningen, P,O, Box 30,001, 9700 RB Groningen, The Netherlands. b.oeseburg@umcg.nl.
authors.forename: Barth
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Oeseburg
authors.forename: Rudi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hilberts
authors.forename: Truus A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Luten
authors.forename: Antoinette V M
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: van Etten
authors.forename: Joris P J
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Slaets
authors.forename: Petrie F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Roodbol
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003479:Curriculum; D058005:General Practitioners / Q000193:education; D005853:Geriatrics / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D009426:Netherlands; D009722:Nurse Practitioners / Q000193:education; D010348:Patient Care Team; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000379:methods