TEAMCARE results: strengthening interprofessional learning across four European pilots
The final TEAMCARE evaluation, performed by WIAB and UNIGE, highlights the value of bringing health and social care professionals together to learn, exchange perspectives and strengthen person-centred care. Results from four pilots in Greece, Ireland, Italy and Poland provide evidence of perceived improvements in interprofessional collaboration, alongside practical lessons for future implementation.
How can training help health and social care professionals work more effectively together in community settings? TEAMCARE addressed this question by developing a European curriculum for specialists in Community-Based Interprofessional Teams (CBIT), supported by teaching guidelines, digital learning resources, teacher training and a model for micro-credentials.
These resources were put into practice through four pilot training courses in Greece, Ireland, Italy and Poland. According to the final evaluation report, 231 professionals started the courses: 70 in Greece, 71 in Ireland, 52 in Italy and 38 in Poland. This exceeded the project’s overall target of at least 120 participants.
The evaluation examined both the resources developed by TEAMCARE and their implementation in the four countries. It brought together feedback from learners, teachers, curriculum designers, institutional stakeholders and pilot leaders to understand what worked, what required adaptation and how the programme could be used in other settings.
A European curriculum with scope for local adaptation
The TEAMCARE curriculum and its accompanying tools were generally evaluated positively for their relevance, usability and adaptability. The curriculum evaluation consulted 66 stakeholders, exceeding the predefined consultation target.
Feedback confirmed the value of a common European framework for developing skills in community-based interprofessional teamwork. The guidelines for curriculum designers supported the adaptation of this framework to national and institutional contexts, while the micro-credential model offered opportunities for modular, flexible learning and recognition of completed parts of the programme.
The evaluation also identified areas requiring further refinement. These included the density and repetition of some learning outcomes, the workload for professionals already in employment, and the need for clearer examples of how to assess transversal competences. Integrating micro-credentials into existing institutional systems remained challenging, with their applicability varying between national contexts.
The recommendations therefore focus on making the programme easier to implement: streamlining learning outcomes, clarifying assessment procedures, providing more practical guidance and strengthening links with real service settings.
Four pilots, four implementation experiences
The pilot evaluation included an interim survey in January 2026 and a final survey in May 2026, complemented by a discussion with the four pilot leaders. Interim findings were shared with the local coordinators so that adaptations could be introduced during the courses where feasible.
The pilots combined online learning, face-to-face activities and practical learning in different ways, reflecting local circumstances and the needs of participating professionals.
Greece: positive feedback and stronger practical learning
The Greek pilot, led by HMU with the support of 7HRC., received consistently positive feedback. Mean ratings for all five areas assessed—organisation, training formats, teachers, practical training and content—remained above 3 on a four-point agreement scale in both evaluation rounds.
Teachers received the highest ratings, with learners highlighting their respectful approach and clear explanations. Practical training improved from 3.16 to 3.27, and participants reported that practical activities provided useful input for their daily work and supported collaboration between professions.
Across the two survey rounds, 69 of the 87 responses indicated that the training had improved interprofessional collaboration. Many final-survey respondents also reported achieving the intended learning outcomes and considered the skills relevant to their workplace.
However, applying learning in practice was sometimes constrained by limited time, staffing, space and organisational conditions. Recommendations included more experiential activities, flexible scheduling, materials in the national language and practical support for translating learning into changes at work.
Ireland: improved experience following the resolution of technical barriers
The Irish pilot, led by RCSI, showed improvements across all five evaluated areas between the interim and final surveys.
Significant IT compatibility problems affected the first part of the course. Institutional requirements meant that teaching initially used RCSI’s Moodle platform, but access difficulties involving workplace devices led to a move to Microsoft Teams. Resolving these barriers contributed to a better learning experience in the second half of the pilot.
Ratings for course organisation increased from 2.79 to 3.16, training formats from 2.87 to 3.31, and content from 2.94 to 3.40. Practical training showed a particularly marked improvement, reaching 3.42 in the final evaluation. Teachers remained the highest-rated aspect, reaching 3.55.
In the final survey, 29 of 33 respondents reported improved interprofessional collaboration. Almost all respondents also agreed that the training provided skills needed in their current work.
Recommendations focused on reliable access from workplace devices, clearer information about weekly commitments and assessments, more interactive online sessions, broader examples from community and primary care, and a manageable workload.
Italy: valuable practical learning alongside organisational challenges
The Italian pilot, led by UNIGE with the support of ALISA, received positive overall feedback, particularly regarding practical learning and interprofessional collaboration.
Practical training was the only evaluated area to improve between the survey rounds, increasing from 3.12 to 3.20. In the final survey, 29 of 35 respondents reported that the course had improved interprofessional collaboration, while 24 of 35 gave one of the two most positive overall satisfaction ratings.
At the same time, the final survey showed lower ratings for organisation, learning formats, teachers and content. These findings point to the importance of pacing, clear delivery arrangements and alignment with participants’ professional experience.
Recommendations included spreading the programme over a longer period, providing advance notice of timetable changes, securing protected study time and making online and face-to-face activities more clearly defined. Participants also called for more practical simulations, structured workplace learning and examples relevant to social workers, educators and other non-clinical roles.
Doctors were not represented among the Italian learners, limiting the range of professions involved. Future delivery should seek broader participation across the health and social care team.
Poland: relevant workplace skills and opportunities to improve delivery
The Polish pilot, led by MUL with support from the Lodzkie Region, received positive ratings across all five evaluated areas in both survey rounds.
Final mean ratings ranged from 3.13 to 3.38 on the four-point agreement scale. Teachers were rated particularly positively, and learners valued the clarity of the content and the usefulness of the learning materials. Practical training maintained a rating of 3.13 across both rounds.
All 34 final-survey respondents agreed that the programme provided skills applicable to their workplace. Feedback also indicated perceived improvements in interprofessional collaboration.
Although most ratings decreased slightly in the final survey, responses generally remained positive. The evaluation identified workload pressure, demanding group assignments outside scheduled sessions, digital fatigue and technical disruptions as areas needing attention.
Recommendations included reserving face-to-face sessions for practical exercises and group work, reducing out-of-class assignment demands, improving technical preparation and distributing learning materials promptly. Participants also highlighted the need for a better balance between health and social care perspectives and closer coordination between teachers to reduce repetition.
Resources that supported teaching and learning
Beyond the pilots themselves, TEAMCARE evaluated the resources designed to support future delivery.
The Pilot Teacher Training offered for teachers before the start of the Pilots provided a foundation for using the curriculum, learning design tools and the Community of Inquiry framework, which supports interaction, reflection and collaborative learning. Feedback from 21 respondents was broadly positive, although it represented only part of the active teaching group. Teachers requested more participatory sessions, clearer instructions and content better adapted to different levels of teaching experience.
The Guidelines for Teachers and Trainers supporting the TEAMCARE curriculum implementation were positively assessed for their structure, practical scenarios, video tutorials and tools for planning and monitoring learning. They supported the design of online and blended activities that encourage interprofessional dialogue. Recommendations included providing the guidelines earlier in the planning process and adding more concrete teaching examples.
The TEAMCARE learning platform covered essential learning and teaching functions, but its use differed across the Pilot countries. Greece used it as the main course platform, while Ireland, Italy and Poland mainly used it to access e-learning resources alongside institutional platforms. Early feedback identified navigation difficulties, and adaptations were introduced. Later feedback was generally positive, with further suggestions concerning clearer navigation, communication and technical support.
The e-learning materials received positive feedback for their accessible content, attractive format, practical examples and flexibility. Resources on Cultural Sensitivity and Closed-Loop Communication were particularly well received. Of 132 learner respondents, 125 agreed that the materials enhanced their understanding, 123 considered that they addressed needed skills, and 121 found them applicable at work.
Remaining challenges included access difficulties, specialised English terminology and the need for more locally relevant examples. Some respondents also expressed reservations about AI-generated videos or the relevance of particular topics to their professional context.
What teachers and pilot leaders observed
Teachers across the four Pilot countries generally reported positive experiences of the course organisation, blended learning approach and practical activities. They observed improvements in teamwork, communication, mutual respect, shared responsibility, ethical awareness and understanding of professional roles.
Pilot leaders highlighted strong interest in the programme and the value participants placed on learning with other professions. Certification, including the possibility of recognising parts of the programme through micro-credentials, was also viewed positively.
A recurring challenge was balancing training with busy and irregular working schedules. Blended delivery helped accommodate geographically dispersed participants, but requests for more face-to-face learning had to be weighed against travel time and workplace commitments.
Lessons for future implementation
The evidence should also be interpreted within its limits. Surveys were anonymous, so individual responses could not be matched between the two evaluation rounds. Delivery arrangements and professional groups differed across the Pilot countries, limiting direct comparisons. Findings on effectiveness mainly reflect learners’ self-reported experiences and teachers’ assessments; longer-term changes in workplace practice and outcomes for people receiving care were not assessed.
Taken together, the findings support the great value of the TEAMCARE’s approach while identifying some practical priorities for institutions wishing to adopt it:
Adapt the curriculum to local services and ensure that both health and social care professions are represented.
Provide realistic workloads, clear schedules and employer support for participation.
Combine flexible online learning with purposeful face-to-face activities.
Strengthen practical learning through cases, simulations, supervised activities and workplace application.
Ensure reliable digital access, clear onboarding and timely availability of materials.
Provide clear assessment and certification guidance, including practical support for micro-credentials.
Maintain opportunities for feedback and adjustment throughout the programme.
TEAMCARE has nevertheless produced a high quality and well-received European training framework and supporting resources informed by experience in four national settings. The evaluation provides a basis for further adaptation, with a clear emphasis on helping professionals learn together and apply interprofessional, person-centred approaches in community care.