A Cochrane review [Abstract] 1 included 15 studies (8 RCTs, 5 controlled before and after studies and two ITS studies). All of these studies measured the effectiveness of IPE interventions compared to no educational intervention. Seven studies indicated that IPE produced positive outcomes in the following areas: diabetes care, emergency department culture and patient satisfaction; collaborative team behaviour and reduction of clinical error rates for emergency department teams; collaborative team behaviour in operating rooms; management of care delivered in cases of domestic violence; and mental health practitioner competencies related to the delivery of patient care. In addition, four of the studies reported mixed outcomes (positive and neutral) and four studies reported that the IPE interventions had no impact on either professional practice or patient care.
Comment: The quality of evidence is downgraded by imprecise results (limited study size for each comparison), by limitations in study quality and by inconsistency (heterogeneity in interventions and outcomes).
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