RESEARCH PROPOSAL

Development of Optimization Model in Implementing Inter-professional

Education by Bottom-Up Method in Indonesia

ASRUL ISMAIL
PHARMACY DEPARTMENT, FACULTY OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCE
UIN ALAUDDIN MAKASSAR, INDONESIA

1. Introduction

Explain the issue you are examining and why it is significant.

World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended the application of inter-professional
collaboration (IPC) to maximize health care, minimize medication error, as well as improve
patient safety. One of approaches to encourage IPC is by inter-professional education (IPE) (Tj,
Ja, Hudock, & Holst, 2015).

Since 2010, Indonesia has actively participated and conducted several strategic means to
stimulate IPE implementation, however it has not been applied thoroughly in majority of
universities, meanwhile on the other hands, health professional improvement becomes society’s
essential demand (Dikti, 2011).

Describe the general area to be studied

The general study would cover the development of IPE implementation method. Decent IPE will
generate a qualified inter-professional collaboration. Inter-professional collaboration will be
effective if it is capable of generating a high quality product having sustainable competence as
group member to work together in the future as well as team contribution to amend member and
professional growth (World Health Organization, 2010)

Nowadays, there are several universities that have administered IPE, but the application is still
limited to faculty scope. A profession program that has become independent as a faculty has not
be able to maximize IPE implementation due to difference regulations among faculty heads,
whereas faculty managing some distinguish programs, such as Medical and Health Sciences
Faculty-Islamic State University of Alauddin Makassar has not applied IPE yet.

Explain why this area is important to the general area under study
Between 2010 and 2015, Indonesia’s government through General Directory of Higher
Education (Dirjen Dikti) performed HPEQ project and HPEQ student involving student
organizations in health that are CIMSA (Center for Indonesian Medical Students Activist),
ISMKI (Association of Indonesian Medical Students), PSMKGI (Association of Indonesian
Dentistry Students), ILMIKI (Association of Indonesian Nurse Students),
IKAMABI(Association of Indonesian Midwifery Students), ISMAFARSI (Association of
Indonesian Pharmacy students), ISMKMI (Association of Indonesian Public Health
Students), and ILMAGI (Association of Indonesian Nutrition Students). This project has
become IPE foundation in spite of its lack and constraint.

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IPE application in Indonesia is affected by numerous factors, some of them are discrepancy of
institution quality simply assessed based on accreditation, regulations, and internal policies of a
university or faculty; curricula which have not yet accommodated IPE, as well as lack of student
involvement because they are merely entailed in advocate process (HPEQ project, 2011). Hence,
IPE implementation seems tardy.

Based on those issues, a development of new model by bottom-up method is required in order to
stimulate IPE implementation by means of optimizing independent professional organization role
of health students.

2. Background/Review of the Literature

An article by Berge et al regarding inter-professional group application in addressing prenatal

case conclude that there is a significant relation between the outcome increase of prenatal cases
and group inter-professional visitation (Berge et al., 2020). This is one of proves of how urgent
IPC implementation is, while IPE is the keystone of IPC.

A research conducted by Fattah in 2017 concerning IPE implementation in Gadjah Mada

University indicates that IPE has been administered with good category for Medical Faculty and
mediocre category for Pharmacy Faculty. Although IPE implementation has been well applied, it
does not spread evenly in all faculties owing to several obstacles mainly policies among
faculties’ management (Fattah, 2017).

Another study performed by Cason et al about determining factors in succeeding IPE

collaboration concludes that practical culture and health education are the leading contributors.
Collaboration team should be provided proper health curricula and organizational learning
(Cason, Sessions, Nemeth, Catchpole, & Bundy, 2020).

Cristina et al writing regarding community based learning model combined with IPE suggests
that community based learning model could be applied after students have enough competences
and be in higher semester (Kristina, Asmara, Wirakusumah, & Syukriani, 2018).

This study is carried out to optimize IPE implementation in Indonesia by means of bottom-up
method. The method embrace student health organizations as independently implementing
media, therefore they could represent diverse education system in Indonesia. Eventually, this
research is expected to be a solution for tardy IPE implementation in Indonesia.

3. Rationale

A description of the questions you are examining and an exploration of the claims. List the
specific question(s) that you are exploring.
1. How is the implementation model of IPE by bottom-up method?

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2. Could bottom-up method encourage IPE implementation?
3. Why could bottom-up method accelerate IPE implementation?
4. How is the outcome of IPE implementation by bottom up method?

Explain how these research questions are related to the larger issues raised in the
introduction.
By answering the research questions above, it is expected that IPE implementation by bottom-up
method could be a reference to stimulate IPE implementation achieved by embracing student
organizations. IPE implementation model could be accomplished by performing PDCA (Plan,
Do, Check, Act) mechanism. Evaluation is conducted to identify achievement of the
implementation model and attain outcome data.

Describe what specific claim or hypothesis you will evaluate with these questions.
Hypothesis. This research becomes a reference model in applying IPE by bottom-up method and
potentiates to encourage IPE implementation in Indonesia.

4. Method and Design

A description of how you would go about collecting data and test the questions you are
examining.

Method
This research uses mixed method, a combination between qualitative and quantitative method.
The qualitative method is utilized to obtain bottom-up model by means of research and
development technique, while quantitative method is used to collect result data of bottom-up
method by cross sectional study.

Design
IPE implementation adopts based bottom-up mechanism system of curricula and educators.
Bottom-up is an education process initiated by independent student organizations (alliance of
seven health organizations) as the objects therefore it will not be restricted by bureaucracy
constraints of higher education. The implementation is conducted in particular time without
interrupting regular activities in campus.

The curriculum mechanism requires 3 points including proper learning principle, applicable skill
learning method, and noble interaction among students. Meanwhile, educator mechanism
demands 4 things that are institutional policy, proper communication, enthusiasm, and sharing
the same vision.

Procedure
The steps are arranged based on PDCA cycle:
1. Creating grand design concept with focus group discussion (FGD) among the seven student
organizations and IPE practitioners.
2. Formulating modules and TOT facilitators.
3. Preparing facilities comprising learning room and professional placement.
4. IPE implementation is divided into two stages. The first stage is strengthening capacity and
collaboration, whereas the other stage is professional practice.
5. Performing outcome based evaluation by:

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 a. Conducting writing or oral exams derived from the arranged modules.
b. Circulating questioner to assess student’s communication skill with other professions
compared to control.
c. Measuring student’s GPA to identify the improvement of student capacity.

Analysis
Qualitative data is analyzed through several steps involving organizing data; grouping based on
category, theme, as well as answer pattern; examining assumptions or issues toward existing
data; and presenting research results.

Meanwhile, quantitative data is enumerated by editing, coding, scoring, tabulating, and entering
data. Editing is rechecking data completeness then coding is providing code to all variable to
facilitate data tabulation. Scoring is carried out to accelerate data analysis by giving score to the
items of issue prior to performing tabulating. Tabulating is specifying data in table or matrix
formats and eventually entering data to computer program to be analyzed.

5. Significance and Conclusion

Discuss, in general, how your proposed research would lead to a significant improvement
over the original studies, and how it would benefit the field. (In other words, why should
someone care? If you were applying for money to do this, why would someone fund you? If
you wanted to publish your results, why would they be interesting?
A study concerning perception, learning method development, and implementation model in
universities has mostly been conducted, however the IPE implementation has not been maximal.
This research offers novel method in applying IPE that has potency to encourage IPE
implementation in Indonesia. Bottom-up method retains some strengths and novelties that have
not existed before. Student organizations of all health professions could be an important
connector in implementing IPE as soon as possible apart from long bureaucracy process.
Moreover, this method could be a simulation of a working environment because the health
professions coming from various universities possessing different accreditation as well so that an
institution would generate well-prepared students to encounter inter-professional collaboration in
the future.

6. References
Berge, J., Smith, C., Trudeau, S., Trump, L., Walsh, C., Gilbertson, B., … Westby, A. (2020). Journal of
Interprofessional Education & Practice Using an interprofessional prenatal group care model to
address disparities in pregnancy-related outcomes in a high risk population in a family medicine
residency clinic. Journal of Interprofessional Education & Practice, 18(September 2019), 100300.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xjep.2019.100300
Cason, M., Sessions, L. C., Nemeth, L., Catchpole, K., & Bundy, D. G. (2020). Journal of
Interprofessional Education & Practice Components of team science — What contributes to
success ? Journal of Interprofessional Education & Practice, 18(October 2019), 100298.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xjep.2019.100298
Dikti, K. (2011). HPEQ Program Sebagai Pijakan Awal Perbaikan Sistem Pendidikan. In HPEQ Program
Sebagai Pijakan Awal Perbaikan Sistem Pendidikan.
Fattah, H. (2017). Studi Implementasi Interprofesional Educatio (IPE) di Universitas Gadjah Mada.
Yogyakarta.
HPEQ project. (2011). Mahasiswa Kesehatan Harus Tahu!; Berpartisipasi dan Berkolaborasi Dalam
Sistem Pendidikan Tinggi Ilmu Kesehatan. (Direktorat Pendidikan Tinggi, Ed.). Jakarta:

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 Kementerian Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan.
Kristina, T. N., Asmara, F. Y., Wirakusumah, F., & Syukriani, Y. (2018). COMMUNITY-BASED
HEALTH-PROFESSIONS INTERPROFESSIONAL EDUCATION : A COLLABORATIVE AND,
7(1).
Tj, F., Ja, S., Hudock, D., & Holst, J. (2015). History and Development of Interprofessional Education
Journal of Phonetics and Audiology History and Development of Interprofessional Education.
Journal of Phonetics and Audiology, 1(January 2015), 3–5. https://doi.org/10.4172/2471-
9455.1000101
World Health Organization. (2010). Framework for Action on Interprofessional Education &
Collaborative Practice.

Note:
Research proposal is maximum 5 pages.
Referencing and citation use APA style

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