Integration of higher education institutions with municipal health systems from the perspective of an interprofessional collaboration typology

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the interprofessional collaboration process among directors and professors from higher education institutions, managers from municipal health systems and professionals from the Family Health Strategy in two critical municipalities to the expansion of health higher education in the state of Ceará. The investigation was an analytical multiple case study. The tools used to gather information were documental search and semi-structured interviews with 75 healthcare managers and professionals and higher education directors and professors. The data was submitted to thematic analysis grounded on an interprofessional collaboration typology. The results showed that in Sobral cooperation among the mentioned agents is in progress while in Juazeiro do Norte it is incipient. The facilitating factors were clarity about the benefits of integration for the quality of care and professional education, institutionalization and participatory management of the process.