Understanding Interprofessional Healthcare Interdisciplinary healthcare has been cited as a possible response to the crisis faced by the modern healthcare system. A team of healthcare professionals capable of meeting patients' needs promises to combat the growing disease complexity and resource shortages currently faced in healthcare systems around the world. This report outlines what interprofessional healthcare is, its benefits, its implementation methods, and its barriers to implementation. The modern healthcare system is made up of a number of different fields and specialties. Interprofessional healthcare is a relatively new concept that focuses on a holistic, collaborative approach to treatment involving multiple healthcare disciplines. Meredith Menken (senior director of publications and communications at the American Dental Education Association) states that “health care providers understand that they must all work together to provide the best care possible to an individual patient” (Menken, 2011). Evidently the concept of teamwork among healthcare workers is becoming increasingly important for the development of the healthcare system. Collaboration does not simply mean that two professionals use their skills to treat a patient, but implies that two professionals use each other's knowledge to develop their own and, consequently, reach a level of knowledge not yet reached. Interprofessional training must occur before actual implementation of healthcare professional teams. According to the World Health Organization's 2010 Framework for Action on Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice, "interprofessional education is a necessary step in preparing a healthcare system ready for collaborative practice." ....education: promoting teamwork in primary health care education and practice. The Australian Journal of Rural Health, 9, pp.19--26.Menken, M. (2011). Interprofessional healthcare education means better patient care | explorehealthcareers.org. [online] Explorehealthcareers.org. Available at: http://explorehealthcareers.org/en/issues/news/Article/252/Interprofessional_Healthcare_Education_Means_Better_Patient_Care [accessed April 23, 2014].Oandasan, D. (2005). Interprofessionalism as a field of interp... [J Interprof Care. 2005] - PubMed - NCBI. [online] Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16096142 [Accessed 19 April 2014]. Zwarenstein, M., Reeves, S., Barr, H., Hammick, M., Koppel , I., & Atkins, J. (2002). Interprofessional education: Effects on professional practice and health care outcomes (Cochrane Review). The Cochrane Library, 4.