Public Health : Improving Health via Inter-Professional Collaborations

It is often stated that "it takes a village" to improve the health of a population. This proverb implies that it takes the work of many individuals, not necessarily from the same occupation or educational or social background, to achieve this goal. To improve the health of a population, a system comprised of educators, community leaders, public health and health care practitioners, researchers, faith-based leaders, municipal workers, and many others working, in diverse urban and/or rural communities, across the globe towards a common goal via evidence-based practice, policy development, education and health literacy initiatives, or a combination thereof, is required. Interprofessional collaborations can be fruitful endeavors with respect to improving health at a population and/or individual level. However, if we examine these interdisciplinary collaborations from a development standpoint, not every professional is trained to work with professionals from other disciplines. How do we prepare an interprofessional workforce capable of working collaboratively? You will find some of the answers in this book.