Interprofessional Identity in health and social care : analysis and synthesis of the existing assumptions and conceptions in the literature

Major changes in populations’ needs warrant an integration of health and social care delivery through interprofessional collaboration. However, collaboration may be hampered due to the self-categorization within a distinct professional group leading to profession-centrism, in which professionals hold firm beliefs in the value of their own ideas and practices while devaluing those of others. Developing an interprofessional identity (IPI) could reduce profession-centrism, but different conceptualizations in the literature hinder the interpretation and translation of research findings. Therefore, a concept analysis and critical interpretative synthesis of research articles were carried out to explore these conceptualizations. Independent screening and analysis of 39 out of 1334 articles by two researchers led to the defining of essential attributes that refer to both IPI’s structural properties and the core beliefs indicative of an interprofessional orientation. On the basis of these attributes, a synthesizing argument was created, supplemented with illustrative vignettes and empirical referents. As IPI is likely to be the missing link between professional development and interprofessional collaboration, this synthesis is important as a guiding framework presenting what constitutes IPI, as well as the boundary conditions (antecedents) and consequences (outcomes) of its construction. Further empirical research is needed to validate links and mediating and moderating variables.