Collaborating Centres
ANNUAL REPORT
Folder eCC_00010269 is in stage Annual_Report_Review
Name of the University, Hospital, Research Institute, Academy or MinistryGunma University
Name of the Division, Department, Unit, Section or Area
Centre for Research and Training on Interprofessional Education
Reference Number

JPN-89City

Maebashi-City

Title

WHO Collaborating Centre for research and training on Interprofessional Education

Report Year

07-2016 to 07-2017

1. Please briefly describe the progress made in the implementation of your agreed workplan as WHO
collaborating centre during the past 12 months (or the reporting period listed above). Please report on
how each workplan activity was implemented, if any outputs have been delivered, if any results havebeen achieved and if any difficulties have been encountered during this time. If an activity has
previously been completed, has not started yet, or been placed on hold, please indicate this.
Activity 1
Title: Better understanding and dissemination of WHO/WPRO initiatives in IPE and CP
Description: The Commission on Education of Health Professionals for the 21st Century has published anarticle calling for a global social movement in order to promote a new century of transformative professional
education. The Commission recommended the promotion of IPE and trans-professional education as one of
the ways to improve performance of instructional reforms in the transformative health professional education.
The WHO HRH Policy is to scale up and transform health professions education to better address populationneeds in the 21st century.
There are several organizations that promote IPE/CP nationally or internationally. These academicorganizations make a flexible inter-federation network and have international meetings on some regular basis,such as All Together Better Health (ATBH) and Collaborating Across Borders (CAB) annual conference.
These conferences facilitate knowledge sharing and experience exchange, and to establish evidence-based
IPE and CP in developed countries’ needs, but not focus on the introduction of IPE in response to developing
countries’ needs that must fit with WHO policy. JIPWEN is one of the leading network organizations in theinter-federation network. For promotion of effective IPE to succeed, with JIPWEN convening and networking
capacities through the communication with international and national governmental agencies of education andhealth sectors as well as international academic institutes, Gunma University will support the WHO global andregional strategy on promoting multi-sector collaboration in IPE and CP by organizing and planninginternational symposiums with WHO staff as well as actively participating in these international conferences.

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Outcomes (Works):
International meetings that the centre and JIPWEN universities participated
1) The centre sent three faculty members to All Together Better Health VIII, 6-9 September 2016, to discuss
the evidence for the effects on IPE or CP.
2) Two members of the centre staff participated in the Official Side Event to the G7 Kobe Health Ministers’Meeting that discussed “UHC, Innovation and Ageing”, that was organized by The WHO Kobe Centre, alongwith Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare 10 September 2016.
3) Four members of the centre attended the Prince Mahidol Award Conference 2017, 29 January – 3 February
2017, in Bangkok and discussed about the role of IPE in the global strategy toward UHC.
4) The centre sent a faculty member to Gwangju Health University, Gwangju, Korea 20 December 2016, tohave a special lecture for the promotion of IPE or CP.
5) Delegation from Viet Nam Headed by Vice Minister of Health and his high officials visited Japanese
Governments, MHLW and MEXT, Association Medical Practitioners and JICA for observing medical
educational, licensing and other related legal systems. The centre sent two members to introduce to thedelegation the necessity of IPE for improving health education in Viet Nam, planning to improve medical andhealth professionals’ education system for the purpose of expanding human resources in ASEAN countries 3
March 2017.
6) The centre sent a faculty member to the UHC Leadership Capacity development program organized by
WHO Kobe Centre in collaboration with Kanagawa Prefecture in Kobe 29 March 2017 to have a workshop
entitled “Developing Leadership for Supporting Ageing Populations Towards Universal Health Coverage” andintroduced IPE within the context of Japan’s experience of ageing and the need for a long-term care
workforce.
7) Two members of the centre attended the Second Global Ministerial Summit on Patient Safety, 29 – 30
March 2017, in Bonn, Germany. The members of the Centre discussed about the role of collaborative practiceand IPE in the Patient Safety with delegates at the Conference.
Outcome (Lectures and presentations):
1) Kama A. Challenges Facing the World Health Organization – Disease Origin to Ebora, Interprofessional
IPE Training Course Kusatsu Seminer, Kusatsu, Gunma, 24 August 2016
2) Kama A. International Civil Servant in Health Sector, Hawaii Medical Education Program Open Class (AnInnovative Method to Incorporate American Education Methodologies into the Traditional Japanese System),Tokai University, Kanagawa, 3 September 2016
3) Koike T, et al. (JIPWEN Univeristy) Evaluation on Interprofessional Education Programme for Sustainable
Development. All Together Better Health VIII, Oxford, UK, 6 - 9 September 2016.
4) Haruta J, et al. (JIPWEN University) Development of an interprofessional competency framework in Japan.
All Together Better Health VIII, Oxford, UK, 6 - 9 September 2016.
5) Shimizu M, et al. The outcome of IPE programs –from a students’ perspective–.All Together Better Health
VIII, Oxford, UK, 6 - 9 September 2016.
6) Sato S, et al. (JIPWEN University) Analyses of the results of a questionnaire administered to students
participating in IPW training. All Together Better Health VIII, Oxford, UK, 6 - 9 September 2016.
7) Kama A.Globalization and Reform for Organization (Special Lecture), Management Board Meeting, Gunma
University, Gunma, 15 December 20168) Lee B. What is IPE. Lecture of Gwangju Health University, Gwangju, Korea 20 December 2016.
Results:
The centre contributed to better understanding of IPE in the context of overall transformative scaling up of
health professional education through these activities for health professional educators, health practitioners,
administrative staff in education and health sectors at community, national, regional, and global levels.
Difficulty:
Nothing
Activity 2

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Title: Collecting evidence for the effect of IPE on attitudes of learners and educators toward IPE and CP
Description: To disseminate IPE under the WHO HRH Policy to scale up and transform health professional
education evidence for the concrete effects of IPE on improving the leaners’ attitudes to better address
population needs in the 21st century and eventually health higher quality of the stakeholders must be required.
However, there are few publications describing the evidence for the effect of IPE on the health workforce
quality, since there have been few standard tools assessing it quantitatively. Gunma University has developed
an instrument measuring the attitudes of various stakeholders towards IPE and CP. On the basis of robust
networking of JIPWEN, Gunma University will share this information among JIPWEN universities and promote
their research work in evaluating the efficacy of IPE programs. Under WHO’s coordination, Gunma University
will coordinate and promote research activities of JIPWEN universities to collect evidence for the effect of IPE
programs on attitudes of learners and educators toward IPE and CP.
On the other hand, the collection of the evidence will be required to academic staff of the various healthprofessions among various universities in the Western Pacific region, as IPE programs will be introduced in
the region. Among those universities, under WPRO’s coordination Gunma University will promote theirresearch work in evaluating the effect of IPE programs on attitudes of learners and educators toward IPE and
CP in collaboration with JIPWEN universities.
Outcome:
The centre and JIPWEN Universities published four scientific papers in English and one manuscript is underrevision process. In this year plural institutes have published papers. In these works, interprofessional
competency framework in Japan has been developed in collaboration with the Japan Association forInterprofessional Education (JAIPE), which JIPWEN supports. Instruments measuring the effect of IPE havedeveloped. The centre analyzed carefully the difference of the attitudinal change between different
universities. Achievements of these research will contribute to the promotion of scientific approach to develop
IPE programs at not only national but also regeional levels.
Results:
The centre with JIPWEN universities contributed to provide the evidence of the effect of the transformative
scaling up of health professional education through conducting these activities.
Difficulty:
Nothing
References: Research papers in English
1) Haruta J, et al. (JIPWEN universities) Development of an interprofessional competency framework inJapan. Journal of Interprofessional Care 2016, 30: 675-7.
2) Sakai I, et al. (JIPWEN universities) Development of a new measurement scale for interprofessional
collaborative competency: The Chiba Interprofessional Competency Scale (CICS29). Journal ofInterprofessional Care 2017, 31: 59-65.
3) Oishi A, et al. (JIPWEN universities) Cross-cultural adaptation of the professional version of the Readinessfor Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) in Japanese. Journal of Interprofessional Care 2017, 31: 85-90.
4) Nagao N, et al. (JIPWEN universities) Different views on treatment decisions by first-year interprofessional
healthcare students. Journal of Interprofessional Care 2017, 31: 407-409.
5) Makino T. et al. Health science students’ attitudes toward health care teams: A comparison between two
universities. Journal of Interprofessional Care, 2017 in submission (revision).
Activity 3
Title: Conducting literature review on the efficacy of IPE and CP
Description: Gunma University together with JIPWEN universities will conduct and develop biennially literature
review on the efficacy of IPE and CP, to update and improve the IPE and CP, and report it to WHO.
This activity will provide and update evidence for transformative scale up of health professional education.

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Outcome:An extensive review of the literature search in July 2016 and June 2017 was conducted. The centre used
continuously the review protocol defining a review question, extensive search strategy and inclusion-exclusion
criteria as same as that were used in the Transforming and scaling up health professionals’ education andtraining: WHO guidelines 2013. The search strategy identified 177 potentially relevant citations. Afterscreening 177 citations carefully, we determined that 22 new IPE studies were included in this update. Most of
the study were cross-sectional study and comparative study that were designed pre- and post- intervention.
Multiple ways of IPE intervention, such as workshop, simulation-based training, scenario-based learning andunique communication tool, were evaluated and analyzed. Also, IPE interventions were conducted in thevarious programs and clinical settings, such as aged-care clinical placements, patient safety program inclinical emergency settings and social care delivery. Although the target of many studies was healthprofessional students including medical, nurse and other health professions, some studies conducted the IPE
program integrating social work students or master of public health (MPH) students to collaborate healthprofessions in their community health settings. A number of studies has demonstrated that students who
participated in several IPE programs showed positive perception, especially improved their attitudes toward
team-working, perceptions of their own role and responsibility, components of patient safety culture related to
teamwork knowledge and communication skills. However, we could not find the any research paper related to
the recommendation of the research priorities in the WHO guideline, such as evaluation of impact of IPE
programs in developing countries, also the relevance of health workforce shortage or improvement of healthservices for community health needs, cost-effectiveness and benefits to patient care outcome. Publication
process of these results is in progress.
Results:
The evidence of the efficacy of IPE program were provided and updated by this activity. This activity provided
and updated evidence for transformative scale up of health professional education.
Difficulty:
Nothing
Activity 4
Title: Collaboration with Education Development Centers in Western Pacific Region introduces IPE, under thecoordination of WHO
Description: WHO supports the establishment of Education Development Center (EDC). Under WHO’s
coordination, Gunma University together with JIPWEN universities will visit the regional universities,
collaborate with EDC, and share its experience in terms of IPE and CP by organizing joint workshops andlectures.
Outcome:Under WPRO’s coordination, the 2-days capacity building workshop and discussion were co-hosted by thecentre and UHS Lao PDR, EDC, in Lao PDR on 24, 25 October 2016. The centre sent four members of thestaff to the workshop. Discussions covered, 1) responses of the facilitators on the IPE program
implementation, 2) further development of the collaboration in terms of IPE, especially for in-service IPE, and3) evaluation process for the IPE program implemented in UHS. Both sides agreed to continue close
cooperation in education and research activities.
Results:
The workshop shared the successful implementation of the program and was expected to contribute toinitiation of IPE in Lao PDR. The centre and UHS agreed the further development of the collaboration in termsof CP and IPE. In 2017 the centre and UHC will carefully analyze the results of the program.
Difficulty:
Nothing
Activity 5

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Title: Development of training course for educators and health practitioners
Description: Gunma University has provided IPE curricula since 1999, and the achievement and the effect on
attitudes toward IPE and CP in the undergraduate students have been demonstrated scientifically andquantitatively. The sustainable implementation and the scientific evaluation owe much to the gentle andcareful guides for students and teaching staff. Gunma University translated those guides in English in 2011.
Gunma University will develop training course for educators and health practitioners who are interested in the
introduction of IPE curricula through the collaborative activities, especially in the Western Pacific Region.
Furthermore Gunma University will propose to other member universities that they develop their own training
courses since the curricula implemented in JIPWEN universities are diverse in their contents.
Outcome:
The centre with JIPWEN universities held IPE training course, Kusatsu Siminar 2016 at Kusatsu Seminar
House, Kusatsu, Gunma on 21 - 27 August, in order to promote and support the development of IPE that canbe adapted to fit various educational and social environments. Participants are 9 faculty members from abroad(3 from Indonesia, 2 from Mongolia, 1 from Lao PDR and 3 from Korea), 8 faculty members from 6 Japanese
universities, 3 members from JIPWEN universities and 26 participants from Gunma University. Discussion
was made in mainly focusing on the role of CP in patient safety. Participants enjoyed meeting each other.
Most of them expressed willingness to initiate or develop their own IPE programs in line with the Toolkit, andto report their progress to WHO CC.
Results:
This activity supported expanding linkages with health professional education institutions and providing IPE
training courses in Western Pacific Region including Japan and other regions.
Difficulty:
Nothing
2. Please briefly describe your collaboration with WHO in regards to the activities of the WHO
collaborating centre during the past 12 months (e.g. means of communication, frequency of contact,
visits to or from WHO). Please feel free to mention any difficulties encountered (if any) and to provide
suggestions for increased or improved communication (if applicable).
1) The centre sent a member of the staff, Dr. Tokita, as a volunteer of the Headquarter of WHO for the period
01 October 2016 – 31 March 2017. The staff contributed to the WHO strategy in Patient Safety by hisexperience of IPE educational approach.
2) Two members of the centre replied on the request of Dr. Giorgio Cometto in terms of mapping capacity
building initiatives and post-graduate training programmes on HRH leadership and stewardship November
2016.
3) The centre sent two members to the “Meeting on Health Professional Education Reforms in Cambodia,
China, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Viet Nam” organized by Ministry of Health, Viet Nam and
WHO/WPRO, 27 - 28 February 2017, in Hanoi, Viet Nam. The centre contributed to the Educational reform
initiatives in those countries in terms of IPE.
3. Please briefly describe any interactions or collaborations with other WHO collaborating centres in
the context of the implementation of the above activities (if any). If you are part of a network of WHO
collaborating centres, please also mention the name of the network, and describe any involvement in
the network during the last 12 months.
1) The centre sent two members of the staff to The Second Regional Forum of WHO CCs in Western Pacific,
28 – 29 November 2016, to strengthen the linkage to WHO CCs in the Western Pacific Region.
2) The centre sent two faculty members to the Fourth Hospital Quality and Patient Safety Management
Course organized by WPRO, National Institute of Public Health (NIPH), WHO CC JPN-50 and National Center
for Global Health and Medicine (NCGM), WHO CC JPN-45. The Course had many lectures and exercise withparticipants 24 - 25 March 2017.

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4. Please briefly describe any type of technical, programmatic, advisory or other support received
from WHO during the past 12 months for the implementation of the agreed activities listed above (ifany).
1) The centre invited Dr. Pascal Zurn, Coordinator, Health Labour Market Unit, HWF, WHO/HQ and received
the advice regarding on the involvement of IPE and CP in the HWF challenges and WHO global strategy, 13
September 2016.
2) Two members of the centre staff reply on the online questionnaire for the study mapping capacity building
initiatives and post-graduate training programmes on HRH leadership and stewardship in October andDecember in 2016.
3) The centre received the advice from Technical Officer, Health Workforce Policy, Division of Health
Systems, WHO Regional Office for Western Pacific regarding on the redesignation process and contents ofthe centre using Skype communication, 19 January 2017.
4) The centre received the advice from Assistant Director-General, Director, Coordinators and staff ofDepartment of Service Delivery and Security, Director, Coordinator and staff of Health Workforce Departmentin the HQ/WHO regarding on the progress in the centre, especially for the role of IPE in the patient safety andaging population’s health, 20 - 22 February 2017.
5) The centre received the advice from External Relations Officer, WHO Centre for Health Development(WHO Kobe Centre) regarding on the role of the centre in the collaborative research activities with the WHO
Kobe Centre under the WHO strategy toward UHC, 20 March 2017.

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