Program
Breaking boundaries: Education as an enabler of trust in healthcare
In a world where trust is more critical - and more fragile - than ever, how can education enable trust in healthcare?
The program will dive deep into preparing students for a future shaped by expanded scopes of practice, misinformation, and planetary health. Now, more than ever, the role of interprofessional education is pivotal in rebuilding trust across the health professions.
Accreditation authorities across the health professions are committed to creating a workforce built on trust, collaboration and communication.
Discussing Trust
Hear from the voices behind the program.
The program is designed through engaging expertise in education and exploring shifts in industry trends. Listen to our Program Committee discuss the topics surrounding this year's theme in this video.
Program Committee members:
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Ms Bronwyn Clark, Chief Executive Officer, Australian Pharmacy Council
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Prof Rhonda Clifford, Dean, School of Allied Health, The University of Western Australia
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Prof Kirsten Galbraith, Professor of Pharmacy Practice and Education, Monash University
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Ms Claire Bekema, Director Accreditation and Standards, Australian Pharmacy Council
Agenda
9:00am - 5.30pm
Tuesday 13 May 2025
Rydges Hotel, Melbourne
Opening Ceremony
9:00am
Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation: Welcome to Country
Professor Tina Brock: Introduction
Keynote: How can I build and keep trust?
9:30am
Prof Julie Leask AO
It is said that trust arrives on foot and leaves on horseback. But what does this mean for health professionals and educators in healthcare? This keynote will look at how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected trust in health care. It will present some of the global challenges to sustaining public confidence in vaccination and make a case for the crucial role of health professionals. Using examples from vaccination, this session will provide some practical tips on how to build and keep people’s trust, that educators can incorporate to help future health professionals navigate these challenges.
Trust in me, trust in you – the key to optimising scope of practice
10:00am
Prof Lisa Nissen
Overcoming trust barriers enables a more integrated, efficient healthcare system. This talk emphasises that trust between health professional groups is crucial for optimising each group’s scope of practice. Strong interprofessional trust fosters collaboration, enhances communication, and empowers teams to leverage their full expertise, ultimately improving patient care and outcomes. This session will explore how we equip future health professionals with the skills required to build strong, collaborative teams.
Time
Session content & speakers
MORNING TEA
Q&A session
10:30am
Prof Tina Brock, Prof Julie Leask & Prof Lisa Nissen
Join the conversation in this Q&A to delve deeper into the topics discussed so far.
Trust
11:15am
Prof Zubin Austin: Virtual video only
Trust is central to all human relationships, including those between health professionals and the patients they serve. This presentation will review recent literature regarding how trust forms – and how it breaks – in the context of one primary care profession (community pharmacy). Principles of trust-enhancing and trust-diminishing factors will be reviewed in order to highlight the complex, fragile, but essential process by which trusting relationships form and are sustained. This will offer insights for educators to help students understand and navigate these dynamics, fostering trust in their own interprofessional and patient relationships.
Perspectives on trust and collaboration
11:30am
Dr Lynda Cardiff
An important aim of interprofessional education is the development of graduate capabilities that enable effective collaboration. This presentation will describe the findings of research that sought to understand what collaboration means to consumers, health professionals and educators, and the role that trust plays in collaborative practice.
Bridging voices - Essential perspectives for building trust and collaboration
12:15pm
Panel: Prof Lisa Nissen, Mr Sebastian Harper, A/Prof Liza Seubert, Mrs Kathryn Fitzgerald, Mr Matt Cloake, Dr Fiona Tito Wheatland, & Prof Christina Johnson
Trust begins with understanding. Hear insights from academia, rural practice, Indigenous and LGBTQI+ communities, consumers, and health practitioners as they share their perspectives on trust, collaboration, and the future of interprofessional collaboration. Join us for an engaging discussion on how different perspectives shape a more inclusive, connected, and effective healthcare system, and how interprofessional education can assist in building a holistic approach to patient care.
LUNCH
Gamification: A bridge between building interprofessional practice and trust in healthcare students on rural placements
2:15pm
Mrs Adeline Vains and Mrs Lucy Parker
To facilitate team building and trust in education, Southern Queensland Rural Health developed a gamification approach to IPE, incorporating Escape Rooms in a Briefcase and Puzzle boxes. This presentation will focus on how Gamified IPE can reduce stress and increase confidence, enabling enhanced trust within teams which is foundational for relationship focused care. Learn how gamification can be a strategic approach to consolidate Interprofessional learnings with an innovative method to develop trust and psychological safety for health professionals at different career stages.
From Adjustments to Nutrition: A collaborative approach to patient wellbeing in a student-led clinic
2:35pm
Dr Saman Khalesi and Dr Dawn Dane
In a dynamic student-led clinic, Chiropractic, Nutrition, and Physiotherapy students worked together with guidance from clinical educators, creating tailored treatment plans to enhance patient wellbeing. This presentation will provide a case study for how an interprofessional education (IPE) approach has fostered hands-on learning, building trust and deepening students' understanding of each discipline. The presentation will discuss the activity's impactful results and how it can improve health outcomes and healthier choices. By encouraging teamwork and collaboration, these activities prepare students for future careers in holistic, multidisciplinary patient-centred healthcare.
Student-led interprofessional initiatives to foster trust and teamwork in future healthcare professionals
2:55pm
A/Prof Vivienne Mak, Dr Kim Allison, Dr Clara Luu, and Miss Cheryl Seah
The University of Melbourne’s Interprofessional Education and Practice Health Students’ Network fosters collaboration among students from 12 health-related professions. This presentation will focus on one of their key initiatives, the Skills Expo, which engages over 200 students in peer-led, hands-on learning, focussed on strengthening networks and fostering interprofessional teamwork across disciplines. Students will present on how this has impacted on shaping their collaborative approach to practice and the importance of embedding interprofessional activities into core curricula. These initiatives break down silos, build trust, and promote collaboration beyond education.
Effective examples of IPE
AFTERNOON TEA
Keynote: Planetary health & professional trust: A collective call to action
3:30pm
Dr Hayley Blackburn
This session will explore the principles of planetary health, the environmental impact of healthcare, and strategies for fostering climate-resilient, sustainable health systems. Through complementary expertise, a unified vision, and collective problem-solving, health professionals and educators can drive meaningful changes to promote human health and the health of the natural world. Central to this effort is trust - both among interprofessional teams and with the communities they serve.
By embracing transparency, competence, and shared responsibility, both health professionals and educators can build trust as a foundation for resilience and action in the face of planetary health challenges.
Practitioners of tomorrow - Opportunities to collaborate for a healthier planet
4:30pm
Dr Hayley Blackburn, Mr Stuart Henshall, Ms Talia Raman, Ms Yannee Liu, Ms Annette Gloria
As future health professionals, students are advocating for a sustainable healthcare system. This student-panel explores how collaboration and trust can drive action on planetary health. Hear how the next generation is taking the lead in creating a healthier planet, and how educators can support and empower students to integrate this into their future practice.
Networking reception
5.30pm
Bobbi's function room, Rydges Hotel
Continue the conversation and enjoy some light refreshments at our networking reception in the foyer.