International Public & Patient Involvement in Interprofessional Education of Health Care Undergraduate Students (PULPIT)

PULPIT is following a four part work plan funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union.

It is an international collaboration between five countries (Canada, Belgium, Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia), with the aim of improving undergraduate healthcare education by addressing unmet needs such as limited patient interaction during early training, lack of person-centred care, or poor understanding of different healthcare professions’ roles. The project seeks to promote patient and public involvement (PPI) in the classroom and interprofessional education (IPE) of undergraduate healthcare students, promoting discussion on the physical, mental and social implications of illness, based on real cases.

The activities will include a review of  best practices in PPI and IPE, assessment of PPI in undergraduate healthcare education, and gathering of stakeholder input through surveys and focus groups. Results from these activities will inform the development of evidence-based recommendations, and will provide resources for co-developing a educational materials to be used in a 4-week program, for which its usability and acceptability will be tested in four European countries. The expected outcomes are improved healthcare professionals’ training, better communication and understanding between healthcare professionals, and ultimately more personalised patient care.