Navigating an interprofessional curriculum: the interprofessional education passport and the quest for an interprofessional identity

Abstract

Interprofessional education (IPE) is recognized globally as essential for preparing healthcare students to collaborate effectively in practice. A critical but underexplored aspect of IPE is the development of an interprofessional identity. However, many curricula still prioritize competency-based outcomes, creating a gap in addressing identity formation. The University of the Western Cape employed an IPE passport to develop students’ interprofessional identity. We aimed to evaluate whether the IPE passport effectively develops and assesses students’ interprofessional identity. Using a document analysis design, IPE student guides, booklets, and rubrics were systematically assessed through a four-step methodology against the Interprofessional Socialisation Framework and the IPE passport’s activities were assessed against Rubric Interprofessional Identity Development’s criteria. Findings revealed a disconnect between competency-focused assessment and identity-focused outcomes, highlighting the need for intentional scaffolding of identity development throughout the curriculum. In response, an IPE Passport model is proposed, integrating Interprofessional Entrustable Professional Activities and combining analytic and holistic rubrics to support identity-based assessment. This approach reframes assessment as not only measuring what students can do, but also who they are becoming as collaborative practitioners. This study demonstrates how theoretically grounded tools can guide institutions in embedding interprofessional identity development into IPE curricula, particularly in resource-constrained contexts.