Changes in attitudes toward interprofessional health care teams and education in the first- and third-year undergraduate students

Assessment of the modified attitudes toward health care teams scale using item response theory analysis

The modified Attitudes Toward Health Care Teams Scale (mATHCTS) is a self-administered questionnaire with 14 items to assess participants' perceptions of the impact of interprofessional collaboration. Its validity and reliability have been widely evaluated. The effect of interprofessional education (IPE) has been evaluated using changes in mATHCTS factor scores. However, several aspects of the scale require clarification: the difficulty of correctly answering each item; how well each item discriminates between respondents' abilities; and whether the mATHCTS is better at identifying those with higher/lower abilities. We investigated the mATHCTS's item characteristics such as difficulty, discrimination, and measurement accuracy using item-response theory (IRT) analysis. Health and welfare university students were administered a questionnaire prior to starting IPE in 2021. The results for 180 participants were analyzed based on IRT. The test-response (TRF) and test-information (TIF) functions, discrimination, and difficulty were estimated. All items' discrimination and difficulty were adequate. The TRF, which shows the relationship between scores and ability, increased monotonically. The TIF, which shows the relationship between ability and measurement accuracy, decreased as the total score increased. The mATHCTS effectively assessed participants' attitudes toward health care teams as a one-dimensional ability. The mATHCTS performed well in identifying participants with relatively low scores.

Co-designing an interprofessional digital education resource on delirium: a student-led approach

BACKGROUND

Interprofessional education is crucial for healthcare students to develop collaborative skills and provide effective patient care. However, opportunities for interprofessional learning are often limited in healthcare curricula. The present study aimed to engage students from different health professions in co-designing an educational resource on delirium recognition and management through an interprofessional lens and explore their experiences of this process.

METHODS

Two co-design workshops were conducted with students from medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and occupational therapy programmes at two universities across the island of Ireland. Focus groups were held following these workshops to explore students' experiences of the co-design process. The workshops involved a range of activities, including theme generation, scenario development, resource creation (podcasts, simulations), and focus group discussions. Data from focus groups were analysed thematically.

RESULTS

A total of 19 students participated across the two workshops. Three themes were identified: (1) Relationship development, where students identified the benefits of co-creating the resource and valued the flexibility, collaboration, and social aspects of the co-design approach; (2) Interprofessional collaboration, which challenged students' assumptions about other disciplines, fostered teamwork and communication, and highlighted the need for early and continuous interprofessional learning; (3) Professional growth, with students reporting increased confidence in managing delirium, working with other professions, and engaging in novel experiences like podcasting and simulation.

CONCLUSIONS

The co-design process facilitated interprofessional collaboration, peer learning, and personal growth among healthcare students. Students appreciated the opportunity to co-create an educational resource while developing interprofessional skills. The study demonstrates the potential of co-design as a methodology for enhancing interprofessional education and promoting effective teamwork in healthcare.

Attitudinal changes of undergraduate students learning online interprofessional education for patient safety: Comparative evaluation of an online program using the DID method

Objective

Interprofessional education (IPE) can cultivate competencies in multidisciplinary collaboration for patient safety, and both face-to-face and online IPE programs have recently been introduced. This study aimed to elucidate the effects of the online IPE program on undergraduate students after the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

Methods

The difference-in-differences method was used to assess undergraduate students in the Schools of Medicine and Health Sciences and in the Faculty of Pharmacy at Takasaki University of Health and Welfare who participated in IPE programs at Gunma University (face-to-face IPE was implemented in 2019 and online IPE in 2020). We distributed a questionnaire that included modified versions of the Attitudes Toward Health Care Teams Scale (ATHCTS) and the Teamwork Attitudes Questionnaire (T-TAQ) to evaluate attitudes toward health-care teams and collaboration for patient safety, respectively, and then compared the differences.

Results

The mean score on the "team efficiency" subscale of the ATHCTS in the online IPE program was significantly lower than that in the face-to-face IPE program. Scores on the T-TAQ in two categories, "mutual support" and "communication", were significantly higher in the online IPE program, which suggests that it may have a similar effect on students learning collaborative practice for patient safety. However, due to technological difficulties, the online IPE program reduced the educational effects for "team efficiency". The improvements in "mutual support" and "communication" seen in the online IPE program, suggest its necessity for collaborative practice for patient safety.

Conclusion

These findings suggest that an online IPE program for patient safety may provide better education effects as a whole, but efforts are needed to minimize the associated technological difficulties.

Interprofessional education in cardiothoracic surgery: a narrative review

Interprofessional education, an approach where healthcare professionals from various disciplines learn with, from, and about each other, is widely recognized as an important strategy for improving collaborative practice and patient outcomes. This narrative review explores the current state and future directions of interprofessional education in cardiothoracic surgery. We conducted a literature search using the PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases, focusing on English-language articles published after 2000. Our qualitative synthesis identified key themes related to interprofessional education interventions, outcomes, and challenges. The integration of interprofessional education in cardiothoracic surgery training programs varies across regions, with a common focus on teamwork and interpersonal communication. Simulation-based training has emerged as a leading modality for cultivating these skills in multidisciplinary settings, with studies showing improvements in team performance, crisis management, and patient safety. However, significant hurdles remain, including professional socialization, hierarchies, stereotypes, resistance to role expansion, and logistical constraints. Future efforts in this field should prioritize deeper curricular integration, continuous faculty development, strong leadership support, robust outcome evaluation, and sustained political and financial commitment. The integration of interprofessional education in cardiothoracic surgery offers considerable potential for enhancing patient care quality, but realizing this vision requires a multifaceted approach. This approach must address individual, organizational, and systemic factors to build an evidence-based framework for implementation.

Attitudes and barriers to interprofessional collaboration among radiographers: A multi-country perspective

INTRODUCTION

To promote effective interprofessional collaboration (IPC), it is crucial to understand the attitudes of healthcare workers towards IPC and identify any barriers they may face. This is particularly important in the radiography profession where IPC is vital for providing holistic care and ensuring radiation protection and safety. However, there is limited research available on the attitudes and barriers to IPC specifically among radiographers. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the attitudes and barriers to IPC among radiographers from multiple countries.

METHODS

A quantitative descriptive cross-sectional online survey was conducted using the adapted attitudes toward healthcare teams scale (ATHCT) and barriers scale towards IPC. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics, Wilcoxon rank-sum, Kruskal-Wallis tests, and exploratory factor analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 233 radiographers across the globe participated in this survey. The study found that the overall mean score on the ATHCT scale was 54.68 (SD = 5.75). Although not statistically significant, radiographers with over 15 years of experience tended to strongly agree with all the statements, indicating a more positive attitude towards IPC. The study also identified three subscales related to IPC: quality of care, team efficiency, and time constraint. The top three barriers to IPC reported by radiographers include i. a lack of clearly defined, shared, and measurable purpose, ii. poor communication, and iii. a lack of commitment from team members.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings highlight the need for interventions and programs that promote effective communication and establish a shared vision among healthcare team members.

Impacts of interprofessional education on collaborative practice of healthcare professionals: A systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

To investigate and statistically synthesise data on the effects of interprofessional education on healthcare professionals' collaborative practice among healthcare professionals.

DESIGN

A systematic review and meta-analysis.

DATA SOURCES

Seven databases and the grey literature were searched to collect relevant studies from database inception to 15 May 2023.

REVIEW METHODS

A random-effects model was used to assess the pooled effect size. Each pooled analysis was tested for publication bias using Egger's regression test.

RESULTS

Eleven studies were included in the final analysis. The evaluation of pooled results showed that interprofessional education significantly enhanced attitudes towards or mutual respect among healthcare professionals (pooled standardized mean difference: 0.14; 95 % Confidence Interval: 0.01-0.28; p = 0.04) and interprofessional knowledge (pooled standardized mean difference: 0.43; 95 % Confidence Interval: 0.22-0.65; p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Interprofessional education is a feasible approach to enhance attitudes towards or mutual respect among healthcare professionals as well as their interprofessional knowledge. Future research is needed to consider the inclusion of a module designed to develop mutual interests and communication to enhance students' perspectives on the importance of the interprofessional education approach.

Health Care Clinical Preceptors' Attitudes Towards Interprofessional Education in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction

IPE fosters a dynamic learning environment that may promote students' knowledge, abilities, and collaborative approach towards addressing challenging clinical circumstances. While much has been reported in the literature regarding these diverse IPE learning environments, limited information exists regarding clinical preceptors' attitude and perceptions of IPE, especially in Saudi Arabia. Given the impact clinical preceptors have on the formation of healthcare students exploring their perceptions, which may impact their actions is imperative.

Methodology

The study focused on understanding the attitudes and perceptions of clinical preceptors towards IPE in a healthcare setting in Saudi Arabia. The study was conducted in Saudi Arabia. Data was collected via Email letter of solicitation (LOS) which included a link to the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) survey. The LOS was sent to all the health care programs in Saudi Arabia.

Results

The study surveyed 182 clinical preceptors. The findings revealed consistent favorable opinions towards "Teamwork and Collaboration". The majority of preceptors concurred that learning alongside other students would increase students' efficiency on healthcare teams and deepen their comprehension of clinical issues. The "Roles and Responsibilities" category, however, obtained lower ranks in general from the preceptors. Not surprising, differences in rankings were greatest between preceptors who had and did not have IPE exposure, there were significant variations in views toward "Teamwork and Collaboration", "Negative Professional Identity", and "Roles and Responsibilities". Preceptors exposed to IPE showed lower median ratings for "Negative Professional Identity" and "Roles and Responsibilities" and better median scores for "Teamwork and Collaboration".

Conclusion

The attitudes and perceptions of preceptors who had experienced IPE were more favorable toward IPE and thus may foster it more effectively in the students they work with. Therefore, ensuring that all preceptors are aware of and have experience with IPE is important as we seek to promote person-centered care.

Attitudes of health care professionals towards interprofessional teamwork in Ashanti Region, Ghana

BACKGROUND

Interprofessional collaboration ensures that high-quality health care is provided leading to improved health outcomes and provider satisfaction. Assessing the attitudes of health care professionals towards teamwork in Ghana is novel.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the attitudes of health care professionals towards interprofessional teamwork and assess specific attributes influencing these attitudes in the Ashanti region, prior to implementing an in-service interprofessional HIV training programme.

METHODS

A cross-sectional pre-training online survey using a modified Attitudes Toward Health Care Teams Scale was conducted among health care practitioners undergoing a two-day interactive interprofessional HIV training in Kumasi and Agogo from November 2019 to January 2020. Trainees were diverse health professional cadres selected from five hospitals in the Ashanti region of Ghana. Data was summarised using the mean and standard deviation for continuous variables, and frequencies and percentages for categorical variables. An exploratory factor analysis was conducted to categorise the 14 items of the modified attitudes scale. The Wilcoxon rank-sum (Mann-Whitney) and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to test the mean attitude difference among the demographic characteristics. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.

RESULTS

Altogether, 302 health professionals completed the survey. The ages ranged from 20-58 years, mean age 27.96 years (standard deviation 5.90 years). Up to 95% of the trainees agreed with the 14 statements on the modified attitudes scale. Three factors were identified; "quality of care", "team efficiency", and "time constraint" with Cronbach's alpha measures of 0.73, 0.50, and 0.45 respectively. The overall mean attitude score was 58.15 ± 6.28 (95% CI, 57.42-58.88). Attitude of health care professionals towards interdisciplinary teams for patient care varied significantly by age (p = 0.014), health profession cadre (p = 0.005), facility (p = 0.037), and professional experience (p = 0.034).

CONCLUSION

Strengthening in-service interprofessional training for health practitioners especially early career professionals in the Ashanti region would be valuable.

La educación interprofesional en el desarrollo de la identidad profesional en terapia ocupacional: una revisión de alcance

Resumen Objetivo analizar el desarrollo histórico, la naturaleza y el volumen de la literatura científica de la Investigación sobre Educación Interprofesional en terapia ocupacional, así como los tipos de intervenciones que se desarrollan. Método Se utilizó un scoping review con un marco metodológico de cuatro etapas para capturar la evidencia que describe cómo las Investigación sobre Educación Interprofesional y la identidad profesional ha sido conceptualizada e integradas en la terapia ocupacional. Las bases de datos incluidas fueron MEDLINE, EMBASE, PubMed, Pubmed Central, ERIC, PsychInfo, Cinahl, Ciberindex, Dialnet, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane y Scielo. Como criterios de inclusión los artículos debían describir conceptos relacionados con la terapia ocupacional y otras disciplinas, identidad profesional y la educación interprofesional en estudiantes y/o profesionales. Del listado final se analizaron las variables: información demográfica, objetivo/propósito del estudio, detalles metodológicos, tipos de intervenciones realizadas y resultados/hallazgos principales. Resultados 18 artículos cumplieron los criterios y 16 se tuvieron en cuenta para la síntesis cualitativa. Predomina la investigación universitaria (92,3%). El 75% de la muestra de las investigaciones se concentra en estudiantes. La investigación mixta representa el 50% del estudio. Las intervenciones más numerosas en Investigación sobre Educación Interprofesional son prácticas en el aula (62,5%) frente a prácticas de campo (37,5%). Conclusión este estudio muestra la fortaleza de las prácticas ligadas a la educación interprofesional y su vínculo para desarrollar la identidad profesional. La formación de colaboración interprofesional en comparación con la educación clínica tradicional, aumenta la identidad profesional a través de la autoeficacia percibida de los estudiantes.

Effectiveness of a case-based digital learning interprofessional workshop involving undergraduates in medical technology, radiological science, and physical therapy: A pre–post intervention study

All healthcare professionals must understand information on a patient’s biophysical functions, and it is important to educate professionals on how to use this information in an interprofessional team for diagnosis. However, there is little interprofessional education for students of medical technology and radiological science involved in biophysical function diagnosis. In the present study, we developed a case-based interprofessional learning tool for using biophysical information for diagnosis. The study examined the effects of a collaborative exercise workshop for healthcare professional students using the tool. Participants were 234 students from three healthcare professions (medical technology, radiological science, and physical therapy). They completed the Japanese version of the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale before and after the workshops. The workshops incorporated digital materials that allowed students to examine the test results of a virtual patient, answer questions, and discuss their diagnoses and prognoses. For analysis, a two-way analysis of variance was performed on the total score on the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale of the three departments, and the effectiveness of the workshop for the three departments was compared. Statistical analyses showed no interaction between time and department (p = 0.283). After the workshop, students from all three departments showed significant improvements in total scores on the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (p < 0.01) with medium to large effect sizes (r = 0.33–0.52). In the comparison between departments, there was a significant difference in the awareness levels of only medical technology and radiological science students before the workshop (p = 0.015). This study conducted case-based learning workshops with students from three departments, in which a patient’s biophysical information was conveyed between occupational practices. The workshops improved the awareness of interprofessional education in students from all departments and revealed that interprofessional education is important for healthcare professions involved in biophysical function diagnosis.

Longitudinal impact of preregistration interprofessional education on the attitudes and skills of health professionals during their early careers: a non-randomised trial with 4-year outcomes

OBJECTIVE

To assess whether a preregistration interprofessional education (IPE) programme changed attitudes towards teamwork and team skills during health professionals' final year of training and first 3 years of professional practice.

DESIGN

Prospective, longitudinal, non-randomised trial.

SETTING

Final year health professional training at three academic institutions in New Zealand.

PARTICIPANTS

Students from eight disciplines eligible to attend the IPE programme were recruited (617/730) prior to their final year of training. 130 participants attended the IPE programme; 115 intervention and 372 control participants were included in outcome analysis.

INTERVENTION

The 5-week Tairāwhiti IPE (TIPE) immersion programme during which students experience clinical placements in interdisciplinary teams, complete collaborative tasks and live together in shared accommodation.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Data were collected via five surveys at 12-month intervals, containing Attitudes Towards Healthcare Teams Scale (ATHCTS), Team Skills Scale (TSS) and free-text items. Mixed-model analysis of covariance, adjusting for baseline characteristics, compared scores between groups at each time point. Template analysis identified themes in free-text data.

RESULTS

Mean ATHCTS scores for TIPE participants were 1.4 (95% CI 0.6 to 2.3) points higher than non-TIPE participants (p=0.002); scores were 1.9 (95% CI 0.8 to 3.0) points higher at graduation and 1.1 (95% CI -0.1 to 2.4) points higher 3 years postgraduation. Mean TSS scores for TIPE participants were 1.7 (95% CI 0.0 to 3.3) points higher than non-TIPE participants (p=0.045); scores were 3.5 points (95% CI 1.5 to 5.5) higher at graduation and 1.3 (95%CI -0.8 to 3.5) points higher 3 years postgraduation. TIPE participants made substantially more free-text comments about benefits of interprofessional collaboration and perceived the TIPE programme had a meaningful influence on their readiness to work in teams and the way in which they performed their healthcare roles.

CONCLUSIONS

TIPE programme participation significantly improved attitudes towards healthcare teams and these changes were maintained over 4 years.

A Holistic Approach of Personality Traits in Medical Students: An Integrative Review

Personality is one of the most crucial aspects of human life, since it influences all human behaviours in both personal and social life, and might also trigger important conflicts with a person’s surroundings in the setting of incompatible traits and characteristics. It is true that ‘one must be born’ for a certain medical specialty, but several components of personality might be educated with proper training. Increased levels of Conscientiousness, Agreeableness, and Openness associated with lower levels of Neuroticism might represent the key combination for achieving professional satisfaction in the medical profession. Medical students should receive proper interprofessional education, since effective interprofessional relationships among healthcare providers definitely improve patients’ safety. Empathy contributes to effective patient–physician communication, improving patient trust, compliance, and satisfaction, being positively correlated with Openness, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness and Extraversion. Emotional intelligence—the capacity to respond to one’s own and others’ emotions—was proven to contribute, in a synergistic way with empathy, to increasing empathic ability. Clinical communication skills represent a key component in medical students in order to achieve the best patient care, and they are certainly related and/or influenced by empathy, interprofessional collaboration skills, emotional intelligence and, especially, personality traits. Taking into account the complex interactions mentioned above, the implementation of effective courses based on these concepts in medical students, intending to promote the development of clinical communication skills, represents a real emergency, since it might result in a reduction in medical errors and subsequent related deaths. A thorough understanding of students’ personality is mandatory before designing these courses in order to provide a training tailored to their personality styles.

Evaluation of students' knowledge, values, and experiences in a geriatrics interprofessional practice-based model

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The objective was to evaluate (1) students' knowledge in a variety of geriatrics competencies, (2) students' attitudes toward the value of interprofessional practice, and (3) pharmacy students' experiences after an advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) in a practice-based interprofessional education (IPE) model.

EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY AND SETTING

Nursing, pharmacy, social work, and health sciences programs who participated in the Richmond Health and Wellness Program (RHWP) interprofessional experience received pre- and post-surveys to assess changes in geriatrics knowledge. An adapted Attitude Toward Health Care Teams Scale (ATHCTS) was used to assess changes in students' attitudes toward the value of interprofessional teamwork. Finally, representative quotes were taken from APPE evaluations to illustrate the pharmacy student experience.

FINDINGS

Seventy-two out of 82 (87.8%) interprofessional students who participated in the practice-based IPE model at RHWP in the fall 2018 participated in this study. Geriatrics knowledge scores significantly increased by 4.03 (P < .001) with a significant change in some knowledge domains: frailty (P = .005) and medication knowledge (P = .017). Attitudes toward the value of interprofessional practice increased with a statistically significant difference in the ATHCTS quality of care subscale (P < .001). Pharmacy students found the interprofessional collaboration to be valuable.

SUMMARY

A practice-based IPE experience can provide many benefits to health professional students. By working as a team, students learn from each other, leading to increased knowledge on several geriatrics competencies. Students understand the importance of IPE experiences, but their attitudes become more positive through application.

Validity of Chinese Version of Attitudes Toward Interprofessional Health Care Teams Scale

Objective

Effective teamwork can provide safe and effective care in various medical systems. Thus, there is increasing recognition of the value of interprofessional collaborative practice. The Attitudes Toward Interprofessional Health Care Teams Scale (ATIHCTS) has been applied to a wide variety of health professions for evaluating attitudes toward health care teams. The ATIHCTS has been widely used internationally, but no Chinese version has been developed. The aim of this study was to adapt a Chinese version of the ATIHCTS among Chinese health care professionals and to test its validity.

Methods

The English version of the ATIHCTS was translated into Chinese, back-translated, and modified for cultural adaptation according to Brislin’s guideline. A total of 306 health professionals in a Shanghai tertiary hospital were investigated using the Chinese version of the ATIHCTS to test its validity.

Results

The Chinese version of the ATIHCTS was adjusted based on expert review and pilot testing. According to expert opinions, the text that did not conform to the Chinese language habits and the Chinese medical environment was adjusted. A total of five adjustments were made. After the pilot testing, minor corrections were made to improve the sentence structure of the scale instructions to make it easier to understand. Factor analysis was subsequently conducted with 306 respondents. The Chinese version of the ATIHCTS had 14 items. Exploratory factor analysis extracted two common factors, quality of care and time constraints, with the cumulative variance contribution rate reaching 70.011% and the load value of each entry on its common factor > 0.4. In addition, for scale confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), the chi-square/degrees of freedom ratio (X²/df) was 1.46, the normed fit index (NFI) was 0.97, the Tucker-Lewis index (TLI) was 0.99, the incremental fit index (IFI) was 0.99, the comparative fit index (CFI) was 0.99, and the root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) was 0.04. The fitting values all met the judgment criteria, and the scale had good structural validity. Cronbach’s α of the Chinese version of the ATIHCTS was 0.861, and the Cronbach’s α values of each factor were 0.949 and 0.838, respectively. The split-half reliability was 0.644, and the Guttman split-half coefficients of each factor were 0.904 and 0.779, respectively.

Conclusion

The Chinese version of the ATIHCTS has good validity. It is a valuable tool for evaluating attitudes toward interprofessional health care teams among the health care professionals in China.

A longitudinal, narrative study of professional socialisation among health students

PURPOSE

Interprofessional collaboration (IPC) among health professionals is well-recognised to enhance care delivery and patient outcomes. Emerging evidence suggests that the early socialisation of students in health professional programmes to teamwork may have a positive impact on their future as collaborative practitioners. With a purpose of contributing to growing evidence on the processes of professional identity construction, and to explore how early expectations and perceptions of IPC develop during professional socialisation and pre-licensure education, our study examined the early professional socialisation experiences among five groups of health professional students.

METHOD

A qualitative, narrative approach was used to examine early professional socialisation among five programmes of health professional students (dentistry, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, physiotherapy) at an Atlantic Canadian University. In March and October 2016, students participated in interviews after first term (n = 44) and first year of study (n = 39). Interviews focused on participants' professional identify formation, as well as their perceptions and experiences of IPC. The authors analysed interview transcripts using narrative analysis.

RESULTS

Findings identify that despite the espoused importance of IPC within health professional training, students have a limited understanding of their professional roles and are largely focused on developing a uniprofessional, vs. interprofessional identity. Clinical experiences, role models and exposure to teamwork are critical to contextualise collaborative practice and enhance the development of an interprofessional identity.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings can be used to guide the development of curricula that promote interprofessional identity development and IPC during early professional socialisation.

Developing a Japanese version of the 'scale of attitudes toward pharmacist-physician collaboration'

There are many reports that pharmacotherapy has been optimized to ensure collaboration between physicians and pharmacists. Various scales assess the relationship between physicians and pharmacists as well as medical students and pharmacy students. The Scale of Attitudes Toward Physician-Pharmacist Collaboration (SATP²C) can be applied not only to the physician-pharmacist relationship but also to the medical-pharmacy student relationship. As there is no Japanese version of the SATP²C, we developed one and examined its psychometric properties. SATP²C scores were measured before and after interprofessional education (IPE) to verify responsiveness. The scale showed confirmed reliability: Cronbach's alphas were 0.79 for Responsibility and Accountability, 0.68 for Shared Authority, and 0.67 for Interdisciplinary Education. Pre and post-IPE, each mean subscale score increased: Responsibility and Accountability, 0.7 ± 0.4; Shared Authority, 0.2 ± 0.3; and Interdisciplinary Education, 0.3 ± 0.2. Although the total score increased (1.2 ± 0.7), this was non-significant. The Japanese version of the SATP²C can be considered, at least initially, to have reached an acceptable level of reliability and validity. The new measure is currently the only scale in Japan that can evaluate attitudes toward physician-pharmacist collaboration regarding IPE. Further studies are needed to confirm responsiveness pre- and post-IPE.

Personality and learning styles in relation to attitudes towards interprofessional education: a cross-sectional study on undergraduate medical students during their clinical courses

BACKGROUND

Interprofessional Education (IPE) is now included in curricula in universities worldwide. It is known that there are differences in attitudes towards IPE among students, but less is known regarding how students' personalities and learnings styles correspond with those attitudes. The aim of this study was to investigate whether personality traits and learning styles have any impact on medical students' attitudes towards IPE.

METHODS

Seventy nine medical students in their 9th term (63% females, mean age 29 years) were questioned regarding their attitudes towards IPE according to the Interdisciplinary Education Perception Scale questionnaire, the Kolb's learning style and Big Five Inventory questionnaires. For all three instruments we used the Swedish translated versions.

RESULTS

When investigated with a logistic regression, adjusting for age and gender, there were no significant associations between Big Five inventory, Kolb's learning style and IEPS, except for the Reflective-Pragmatic learning style that was moderately associated with a higher IEPS score.

CONCLUSION

There was no clear correlation between personality, learning style and attitude towards IPE as measured by the IEPS among medical students in our study population. Further investigations would benefit from a combination of qualitative and quantitative design.

Attitudes towards Interprofessional education in the medical curriculum: a systematic review of the literature

BACKGROUND

There is agreement among educators and professional bodies that interprofessional education needs to be implemented at the pre-registration level. We performed a systematic review assessing interprofessional learning interventions, measuring attitudes towards interprofessional education and involving pre-registration medical students across all years of medical education.

METHODS

A systematic literature review was performed using PubMed, PsycINFO, EThOS, EMBASE, PEDro and SCOPUS. Search terms were composed of interprofession*, interprofessional education, inter professional, inter professionally, IPE, and medical student. Inclusion criteria were 1) the use of a validated scale for assessment of attitudes towards IPE, and results for more than 35 medical students; 2) peer-reviewed articles in English and German, including medical students; and 3) results for IPE interventions published after the 2011 Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) report. We identified and screened 3995 articles. After elimination of duplicates or non-relevant topics, 278 articles remained as potentially relevant for full text assessment. We used a data extraction form including study designs, training methods, participant data, assessment measures, results, and medical year of participants for each study. A planned comprehensive meta-analysis was not possible.

RESULTS

This systematic review included 23 articles with a pre-test-post-test design. Interventions varied in their type and topic. Duration of interventions varied from 25 min to 6 months, and interprofessional groups ranged from 2 to 25 students. Nine studies (39%) reported data from first-year medical students, five (22%) from second-year students, six (26%) from third-year students, two (9%) from fourth-year students and one (4%) from sixth-year students. There were no studies including fifth-year students. The most frequently used assessment method was the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) (n = 6, 26%). About half of study outcomes showed a significant increase in positive attitudes towards interprofessional education after interventions across all medical years.

CONCLUSIONS

This systematic review showed some evidence of a post-intervention change of attitudes towards IPE across different medical years studied. IPE was successfully introduced both in pre-clinical and clinical years of the medical curriculum. With respect to changes in attitudes to IPE, we could not demonstrate a difference between interventions delivered in early and later years of the curriculum.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

PROSPERO registration number:  CRD42020160964 .

Revisiting the attitudes toward health care teams scale: Developing a short version for graduate health care education

As interprofessional education (IPE) becomes more common in student training programs, reliable and valid scales are needed to measure students' perceptions of the experience. The Attitudes Toward Health Care Teams Scale (ATHCTS) was developed to measure students' attitudes toward IPE programs using 14 items loaded on two factors. In this paper, we used the ATHCTS scale to assess the effects of a three-semester long health care IPE program on three cohorts of nurse practitioner, occupational therapy, and physical therapy graduate students with three measurement points across two university sites (N = 367). Confirmatory factor analysis on the baseline data of the first cohort revealed unacceptable fit indices; in addition, not all items were applicable, some items had double or low factor loadings, and positively and negatively worded items loaded on separate factors, indicating potential answering bias, and both factors were highly correlated. We thus conducted further item analyses and propose a short version of the ATHCTS using six items with one reverse coded item, describing the quality of interprofessional care in a more parsimonious way. The factor structure of the six-item version was tested using confirmatory factor analysis on the baseline data of cohort 2 and 3. Results were compared to the 14-item version, and fit indices confirmed a better fit to the data than the old version. Using the shortened scale, student attitudes were compared over the course of the program and between both sites. Results showed that site 2 students' attitudes remained very positive over time, while site 1 students' attitudes declined significantly. We suggest this finding is related to the consistency of team membership at site 2 and discuss the implications for IPE program design.

Experiences with and attitudes toward interprofessional health care teams among American clinical, counseling, and school psychology doctoral students: a mixed methods study

Attitudes toward interprofessional collaboration influence interprofessional health care team (IPHCT) functioning and quality of patient care. Yet, research has not examined the attitudes and experiences of psychology doctoral students on IPHCTs. Utilizing a volunteer sample of 214 clinical, counseling, and school psychology doctoral students from at least 47 doctoral programs in the United States, this study aimed to clarify psychology doctoral students' experiences on IPHCTs and explore predictors of their attitudes toward IPHCTs. Discovery-oriented analysis and hierarchical multiple regression were used to identify themes of students' self-reported interprofessional experiences and significant predictors of positive attitudes obtained via online survey questionnaires. Students who had worked on IPHCTs commonly reported taking roles of mental health therapeutic service provision and consultation and reported difficulty with team dynamics and navigating hierarchical structures. Students perceived the psychologist role primarily as clinical expert and team leader. Students reported making positive contributions, increased competency in interprofessional practice, and improvement in patient care as the most common benefits of IPHCTs. Each additional year spent on an IPHCT was related to more positive perceptions of the quality of care delivered by IPHCTs as well as greater endorsement of positive interprofessional socialization practices.

Realist approach to evaluating an interprofessional education program for medical students in clinical practice at a community hospital

Introduction: We examined the interrelationships between context, mechanism, and outcome using a realist approach following the introduction of interprofessional education (IPE) to clinical practice for medical students in the community.Methods: Through participant observation and interviews, a working hypothesis was developed. To evaluate IPE in clinical practice, medical students' reports were thematically analyzed, and configuration on contexts, mechanisms, and outcomes were identified using a realist approach.Results: Influential contexts were medical students' experience of clinical practice and learning characteristics, the capacity of other professionals, interprofessional relationships, and characteristics of the community hospital. One key mechanism was observational learning. Others were self-regulated learning, legitimate peripheral participation, experiential learning, contact hypotheses, awareness of social structure, and cognitive empathy. As faculties supported these key mechanisms, medical students became aware of the legitimacy of community-oriented primary care, noting the roles of physicians who support patients' and/or their family's life in collaboration with other professionals, and reflecting the necessity of shifting from physician-centered perspectives. As a result, medical students deepened their empathic understanding for other professionals.Conclusion: Faculties should develop IPE programs in clinical practice based on the 'mechanism', 'context', 'outcome' pattern and 'context-mechanism-outcome' configuration in primary care settings.

Effectiveness of an interprofessional education program using team-based learning for medical students: A randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

To respond to increasingly complicated healthcare needs in primary care settings, all health and medical welfare professionals are required to collaborate with multiprofessionals, namely via "interprofessional work" (IPW). Interprofessional education (IPE) is essential for effective IPW, especially for medical students. This study aimed to determine whether participation in IPE can increase medical students' readiness for interprofessional learning.

METHOD

We examined the difference in readiness of medical students for interprofessional learning before and after an IPE program that used team-based learning (TBL). Each student was assigned to either a uniprofessional or multiprofessional group. They were evaluated using the Japanese version of the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS). Program participants were 126 second-year medical students and 18 students of healthcare professions other than medical doctor who participated in a combined IPE program conducted by two universities. Medical students were allocated to 12 uniprofessional and nine multiprofessional groups at random.

RESULTS

One hundred and twelve medical students who replied to the questionnaire both before and after the program (valid response rate, 88.9%) were eligible for analysis. Of these, 42 were assigned to uniprofessional groups and 70 to multiprofessional groups. After the program, the RIPLS total score increased to a greater extent in the multiprofessional groups than in the uniprofessional groups (difference 3.17, 95% confidence interval 0.47-5.88, P = .022). Multiple regression analysis showed the same result.

CONCLUSIONS

Learning in multiprofessional groups increased medical students' readiness for interprofessional learning in an IPE program using TBL.

Using simulation-based learning to provide interprofessional education in diabetes to nutrition and dietetics and exercise physiology students through telehealth

BACKGROUND

Current workforce demands require new graduates to competently work within health care teams and often in remote settings. To better prepare students for this work, universities have spent much time developing interprofessional education (IPE) activities. The body of literature supporting IPE of allied health students is growing. Simulation-based learning with simulated patients is one platform through which IPE can be implemented in a dedicated, supported environment and potentially at scale. This study describes an interprofessional simulation-based learning experience with nutrition and dietetics and exercise physiology students. The common practice area of interacting with patients who have type 2 diabetes was targeted, and the simulation was delivered in partnership with simulated patients via a telehealth platform to allow interprofessional teams to work collaboratively in remote locations.

METHODS

Ten nutrition and dietetics and 13 exercise physiology students participated in a simulation module in which students observed and collaborated in the development and delivery of an interprofessional treatment plan for patients with diabetes. Learning outcomes were measured according to the first two levels of Kirkpatrick's (1994) model for training evaluation (i.e. reaction and learning), as well as the perceived impact on behaviour.

RESULTS

The students' confidence in communication, assessment, management and ability to work with another health professional significantly increased (p < 0.05) post-activity. Students perceived that the simulation-based learning would have a positive impact on their clinical skills and ability to work with other health professionals. Students reported that the most effective aspects of the simulation module were learning from and about each other, the opportunity for experiential learning and the supportive learning environment. However, the telehealth platform audio clarity and delay had negative impact on the learning experiences for students.

CONCLUSION

The overall positive results demonstrate the potential of simulation-based learning activities for preparing allied health students for working in interprofessional teams. Although remote access was possible, the telehealth platform was identified as a limiting factor to this simulation-based learning experience. However, videoconferencing technology has advanced considerably since this study. Hence, there is an opportunity to employ more reliable technology for future simulations.

A pilot evaluation of simulation-based interprofessional education for occupational therapy, speech pathology and dietetic students: improvements in attitudes and confidence

Many higher education institutions struggle to provide interprofessional practice opportunities for their pre-licensure students due to demanding workloads, difficulties with timetabling, and problems with sourcing suitable placements that provide appropriate practice opportunities. A series of complex unfolding video-based simulation scenarios involving a patient who had experienced a stroke was utilized as a case study for a three-hour interprofessional practice workshop. 69 occupational therapy (OT), speech pathology (SP) and dietetics (DT) students participated in a mixed-methods study comparing interprofessional attitudes before and after the workshop. Attitudes toward interprofessional practice improved pre- vs. post-workshop and overall. Students were highly satisfied with the workshops contribution toward learning, although OT and SP students were more satisfied than DT students. Focus groups confirmed students liked the format and structure of the workshop, suggested that students better understood the role of other professions and improved role clarification, increased their confidence to practice in interprofessional practice settings, but noted the experience could have been improved with the incorporation of nursing and smaller groups to better facilitate participation. There is widespread support for implementing interprofessional education (IPE) in the health sciences, yet widespread implementation is not yet a reality. This research suggests that a simulation-based, three-hour IPE workshop can have an immediate benefit on confidence and attitudes toward interprofessional practice for allied health students.

Changes in attitudes of undergraduate students learning interprofessional education in the absence of patient safety modules: evaluation with a modified T-TAQ instrument

Communication underpinning well-functioning teamwork is a key mechanism for patient safety. Undergraduate interprofessional education (IPE) provides students with a basic understanding of the psychological factors contributing to teamwork. To develop IPE fostering a collaborative mindset for patient safety, attitudinal changes of students for patient safety were evaluated. Changes in the scores of the modified attitudes toward health care teams scale (ATHCTS) and the modified teamwork attitudes questionnaire (T-TAQ) of students pre- and post-IPE program were evaluated in the 2017 academic year. One hundred and fifty-one students (n=151) of five health professions (medicine, nursing, laboratory science, physiotherapy and occupational therapy) and 125 students of a possible 167 completed the survey before and after the IPE program, respectively. In the modified ATHCTS, 11 out of 14 items showed a significant change. The "quality of care delivery" and "patient-centered care" subscales showed significant increases in the regression factor score. In contrast, only 7 out of 30 items showed a significant increase in the modified T-TAQ. Four out of five categories, however, showed a significant increase, although the factor structure did not correspond to the T-TAQ category structure. The IPE program may have significant capacity to cultivate competencies to collaborate for patient safety. However, development of IPE may require preceding subjects providing concrete knowledge for patient safety, especially for communication and leadership.

An interprofessional patient assessment involving medical and nursing students: a qualitative study

Interprofessional collaboration is fundamental to providing optimal patient care. The readiness of the team entering a framework of interprofessional collaborative practice is critical to its success. In this study, we conducted an interprofessional education (IPE) activity for medical and nursing students in an acute care setting. Over nine occasions, 21 student pairs (one nursing and one medical student per pair) jointly assessed a patient and created a list of problems and interventions to achieve the patient's goals. Immediately after the activity, students were debriefed to gain insight into their experiences. Debriefing sessions were audiotaped and analysed using a phenomenological approach and four major themes were identified. Overall, students felt responsible for representing their profession and were initially apprehensive about the interprofessional task. Nevertheless, they identified their own shortcomings and recognized the value in their partner's approach. These realizations promoted convergence on a shared vision to provide optimal care for patients as a team. Acknowledging and understanding these perceptions may help design better ways to improve patient care. This educational model may be utilized by others who are seeking IPE activities in acute care.

What did first-year students experience during their interprofessional education? A qualitative analysis of e-portfolios

Interprofessional collaboration is an essential approach to comprehensive patient care. As previous studies have argued, interprofessional education (IPE) must be integrated in a stepwise, systematic manner in undergraduate health profession education programmes. Given this perspective, first-year IPE is a critical opportunity for building the foundation of interprofessional collaborative practice. This study aims to explore the first-year students' learning processes and the longitudinal changes in their perceptions of learning in a year-long IPE programme. Data were collected at a Japanese medical university, in which different pedagogical approaches are adopted in the IPE programme. Some of these approaches include interprofessional problem-based learning, early exposure, and interactive lecture-based teaching. The students are required to submit written reflections as a formative assessment. This study conducted an inductive thematic analysis of 104 written reflections from a series of e-portfolios of 26 first-year students. The themes related to learning outcomes from student perspectives included communication (e.g., active listening and intelligible explanation), teams and teamwork (e.g., mutual engagement and leadership), roles/responsibilities as a group member (e.g., self-directed learning and information literacy), and roles/responsibilities as a health professional (e.g., understanding of the student's own professional and mutual respect in an interprofessional team). The study also indicated three perspectives of students' learning process at different stages of the IPE, i.e., processes by which students became active and responsible learners, emphasised the enhancement of teamwork, and developed their own interprofessional identities. This study revealed the first-year students' learning processes in the year-long IPE programme and clarified the role of the first-year IPE programme within the overall curriculum. The findings suggest that the students' active participation in the IPE programme facilitated their fundamental understanding of communication/teamwork and identity formation as a health professional in interprofessional collaborative practice.

Longitudinal impact of interprofessional education on attitudes, skills and career trajectories: a protocol for a quasi-experimental study in New Zealand

INTRODUCTION

Interprofessional practice is recognised as an important element of safe and effective healthcare. However, few studies exist that evaluate how preregistration education contributes to interprofessional competencies, and how these competencies develop throughout the early years of a health professional's career. This quasiexperimental study will gather longitudinal data during students' last year of preregistration training and their first 3 years of professional practice to evaluate the ongoing development of interprofessional competencies and the influence that preregistration education including an explicit interprofessional education (IPE) programme may have on these.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

Participants are students and graduates from the disciplines of dentistry, dietetics, medicine, nursing, occupational therapy, oral health, pharmacy and physiotherapy recruited before their final year of study. A subset of these students attended a 5-week IPE immersion programme during their final year of training. All data will be collected via five written or electronic surveys completed at 12-month intervals. Each survey will contain the Attitudes Towards Health Care Teams Scale and the Team Skills Scale, as well as quantitative and free-text items to explore vocational satisfaction, career trajectories and influences on these. Students who attend the IPE programme will complete additional free-text items to explore the effects of this programme on their careers. Quantitative analysis will compare scores at each time point, adjusted for baseline scores, for graduates who did and did not participate in the IPE programme. Associations between satisfaction data and discipline, professional setting, location and IPE participation will also be examined. Template analysis will explore free-text themes related to influences on career choices including participation in preregistration IPE.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

This study has received approval from the University of Otago Ethics Committee (D13/019). Results will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications, conferences and stakeholder reports. Findings will inform future IPE developments and health workforce planning.

Health science students' attitudes towards healthcare teams: A comparison between two universities

There have been few studies comparing the attitudes towards healthcare teams between different universities. This study analysed the differences in attitudes towards healthcare teams between health science students at Gunma University, Japan, which implements a comprehensive interprofessional education (IPE) programme, and Kanazawa University, a similar national university. Study populations were first- and third-year students at the Gunma University School of Health Sciences and the Kanazawa University School of Health Sciences. The present study was performed just after the IPE and multi-professional education subjects at Gunma University in the first term of the 2012 academic year. The first-year students were different cohort from the third-year students. The modified Attitudes Toward Health Care Teams Scale (ATHCTS) was used to measure attitudes towards healthcare teams. The overall mean score on the modified ATHCTS of students at Gunma University was significantly higher than that of those at Kanazawa University. In both first- and third-year students, the regression factor score of "patient-centred care" was significantly higher at Gunma University than at Kanazawa University. Based on the present study, it can be stated that IPE may foster the value of collaborative practice (CP) among health science students.

Attitudes of clinician educators towards interprofessional education and collaboration: Insights from two interprofessional scales

The increasing complexity of healthcare needs underlines the growing importance of interprofessional education and collaborative practice (IPECP) in enhancing quality of patient care. In particular, clinician educators play an influential role in advocating IPECP. The primary goal of our exploratory pilot study is to explore 34 clinician educators' attitudes towards IPECP by using the adapted 14-item Attitudes Toward Health Care Teams Scale (ATHCTS) and 15-item Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS). Mean scores of ATHCTS and RIPLS were 3.81 (SD = 0.90) and 4.02 (SD = 0.79), respectively. Using exploratory factor analysis, we identified four factors: team value (ATHCTS), team efficiency (ATHCTS), teamwork and collaboration (RIPLS), and professional socialisation (RIPLS). The "team efficiency" factor on the ATHCTS scored lowest (factor mean = 3.49) compared with other factors (factor means = 3.87-4.08). Correlation analyses revealed that the "team efficiency" factor had small correlations with other factors (r = -0.05-0.37). Our clinician educators valued IPECP in promoting teamwork and professional socialisation but they perceived IPECP to compromise efficiency. The issue of perceived inefficiency by clinician educators merits attention in order to promote wider implementation of IPECP.

Perceptions of residents, medical and nursing students about Interprofessional education: a systematic review of the quantitative and qualitative literature

BACKGROUND

To identify facilitators and barriers that residents, medical and nursing students perceive in their Interprofessional Education (IPE) in a clinical setting with other healthcare students.

METHODS

A systematic review was carried out to identify the perceptions of medical students, residents and nursing students regarding IPE in a clinical setting. PubMed, CINAHL, ERIC and PsycInfo were searched, using keywords and MeSH terms from each database's inception published prior to June 2014. Interprofessional education involving nursing and medical students and/or residents in IPE were selected by the first author. Two authors independently assessed studies for inclusion or exclusion and extracted the data.

RESULTS

Sixty-five eligible papers (27 quantitative, 16 qualitative and 22 mixed methods) were identified and synthesized using narrative synthesis. Perceptions and attitudes of residents and students could be categorized into 'Readiness for IPE', 'Barriers to IPE' and 'Facilitators of IPE'. Within each category they work at three levels: individual, process/curricular and cultural/organizational. Readiness for IPE at individual level is higher in females, irrespective of prior healthcare experience. At process level readiness for IPE fluctuates during medical school, at cultural level collaboration is jeopardized when groups interact poorly. Examples of IPE-barriers are at individual level feeling intimidated by doctors, at process level lack of formal assessment and at cultural level exclusion of medical students from interaction by nurses. Examples of IPE-facilitators are at individual level affective crises and patient care crises situations that create feelings of urgency, at process level small group learning activities in an authentic context and at cultural level getting acquainted informally. These results are related to a model for learning and teaching, to illustrate the implications for the design of IPE.

CONCLUSIONS

Most of the uncovered barriers are at the cultural level and most of the facilitators are at the process level. Factors at the individual level need more research.

Understanding students' readiness for interprofessional learning in an Asian context: a mixed-methods study

BACKGROUND

Healthcare is generally provided by various health professionals acting together. Unfortunately, poor communication and collaboration within such healthcare teams often prevent its members from actively engaging in collaborative decision-making. Interprofessional education (IPE) which prepares health professionals for their collaborative role in the healthcare system may partially address this problem. This study aimed to investigate: 1) students' readiness for IPE in an Asian context, 2) the most important factors influencing students' perceptions of IPE, 3) the reasons underlying such perceptions, and 4) the factors mitigating or promoting their sense of readiness.

METHODS

To identify students' perceptions of IPE, we administered the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) to 398 in approximately 470 students from a range of health professions (medicine, nursing, midwifery and dentistry). The questionnaire included factors that could potentially influence readiness for IPE as found in the literature (GPA, etc.). To enhance our understanding of the responses to the RIPLS and to explore the reasons underlying them, we conducted 4 mono-professional focus group discussions (FGDs). We ran a statistical analysis on the quantitative data, while performing a thematic content analysis of the qualitative data using ATLAS.ti (version 7).

RESULTS

Medical students seemed to be the most prepared for IPE. Students' perceptions of IPE were conditioned by the study programme they took, their GPA, intrinsic motivation and engagement in the student council connoting experience of working with students from different programmes. Focus groups further revealed that: 1) early exposure to clinical practice triggered both positive and negative perceptions of IPE and of its importance to learning communication and leadership skills, 2) medical students caused insecurity and disengagement in other students, 3) medical students felt pressured to be leaders, and 4) there was a need to clarify and understand each other's profession and the boundaries of one's own profession.

CONCLUSION

Students were generally favourable to IPE, appreciating the opportunity it offered them to hone their interprofessional leadership, collaboration and communication skills and to learn to address the problem of role blurring. Hence, we judge the Asian context ready to implement IPE, allowing health professions students in Asian countries to reap its benefits. The present study revealed several important reasons underlying students' positive and negative perceptions of IPE implementation which may be addressed during the interprofessional learning process.

Berlin in Motion: Interprofessional teaching and learning for students in the fields of medicine, occupational therapy, physiotherapy and nursing (INTER-M-E-P-P)

AIM

The Berlin project "Interprofessional teaching and learning in medicine, occupational therapy, physiotherapy and nursing" (INTER-M-E-P-P) pursues the goal of developing and testing interprofessional courses in an exemplary manner, and then implement these into their regular study programs.

METHOD

Under the direction of a steering committee of the participating institutions, professions and status groups, interprofessional courses were designed, carried out and evaluated. Specific to this project are the participation of students in the steering committee, and the accompanying of external supervision. The evaluation integrates the perspectives of all project participants, and combines quantitative and qualitative methods.

RESULTS

INTER-M-E-P-P established cooperative structures between the participating universities and programs. Three courses were designed, taught and evaluated in an interprofessional manner. The various curricula, organizational patterns and locations of the study paths led to a great need for resources in regard to planning and implementation. This process can be made difficult by any stereotypes or preconceptions inherent to those doing the planning; however, under external supervision, the individual professional viewpoints can still be broadened and enriched.

CONCLUSION

A sustainable implementation of interprofessional education into the curricula of health science study programs is currently complicated by barriers such as different geographical locations and differing university regulations concerning study and testing. Implementation will require long-term support at the university as well as at political levels.

Professional identity acquisition process model in interprofessional education using structural equation modelling: 10-year initiative survey

The mandatory interprofessional education (IPE) programme at Gunma University, Japan, was initiated in 1999. A questionnaire of 10 items to assess the students' understanding of the IPE training programme has been distributed since then, and the factor analysis of the responses revealed that it was categorised into four subscales, i.e. "professional identity", "structure and function of training facilities", "teamwork and collaboration", and "role and responsibilities", and suggested that these may take into account the development of IPE programme with clinical training. The purpose of this study was to examine the professional identity acquisition process (PIAP) model in IPE using structural equation modelling (SEM). Overall, 1,581 respondents of a possible 1,809 students from the departments of nursing, laboratory sciences, physical therapy, and occupational therapy completed the questionnaire. The SEM technique was utilised to construct a PIAP model on the relationships among four factors. The original PIAP model showed that "professional identity" was predicted by two factors, namely "role and responsibilities" and "teamwork and collaboration". These two factors were predicted by the factor "structure and function of training facilities". The same structure was observed in nursing and physical therapy students' PIAP models, but it was not completely the same in laboratory sciences and occupational therapy students' PIAP models. A parallel but not isolated curriculum on expertise unique to the profession, which may help to understand their professional identity in combination with learning the collaboration, may be necessary.

Implementation and evaluation of an interprofessional simulation-based education program for undergraduate nursing students in operating room nursing education: a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

The present study was designed to implement an interprofessional simulation-based education program for nursing students and evaluate the influence of this program on nursing students' attitudes toward interprofessional education and knowledge about operating room nursing.

METHODS

Nursing students were randomly assigned to either the interprofessional simulation-based education or traditional course group. A before-and-after study of nursing students' attitudes toward the program was conducted using the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale. Responses to an open-ended question were categorized using thematic content analysis. Nursing students' knowledge about operating room nursing was measured.

RESULTS

Nursing students from the interprofessional simulation-based education group showed statistically different responses to four of the nineteen questions in the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale, reflecting a more positive attitude toward interprofessional learning. This was also supported by thematic content analysis of the open-ended responses. Furthermore, nursing students in the simulation-based education group had a significant improvement in knowledge about operating room nursing.

CONCLUSIONS

The integrated course with interprofessional education and simulation provided a positive impact on undergraduate nursing students' perceptions toward interprofessional learning and knowledge about operating room nursing. Our study demonstrated that this course may be a valuable elective option for undergraduate nursing students in operating room nursing education.

The positive impact of interprofessional education: a controlled trial to evaluate a programme for health professional students

BACKGROUND

Collaborative interprofessional practice is an important means of providing effective care to people with complex health problems. Interprofessional education (IPE) is assumed to enhance interprofessional practice despite challenges to demonstrate its efficacy. This study evaluated whether an IPE programme changed students' attitudes to interprofessional teams and interprofessional learning, students' self-reported effectiveness as a team member, and students' perceived ability to manage long-term conditions.

METHODS

A prospective controlled trial evaluated an eleven-hour IPE programme focused on long-term conditions' management. Pre-registration students from the disciplines of dietetics (n = 9), medicine (n = 36), physiotherapy (n = 12), and radiation therapy (n = 26) were allocated to either an intervention group (n = 41) who received the IPE program or a control group (n = 42) who continued with their usual discipline specific curriculum. Outcome measures were the Attitudes Toward Health Care Teams Scale (ATHCTS), Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS), the Team Skills Scale (TSS), and the Long-Term Condition Management Scale (LTCMS). Analysis of covariance compared mean post-intervention scale scores adjusted for baseline scores.

RESULTS

Mean post-intervention attitude scores (all on a five-point scale) were significantly higher in the intervention group than the control group for all scales. The mean difference for the ATHCTS was 0.17 (95 %CI 0.05 to 0.30; p = 0.006), for the RIPLS was 0.30 (95 %CI 0.16 to 0.43; p < 0.001), for the TSS was 0.71 (95 %CI 0.49 to 0.92; p < 0.001), and for the LTCMS was 0.75 (95 %CI 0.56 to 0.94; p < 0.001). The mean effect of the intervention was similar for students from the two larger disciplinary sub-groups of medicine and radiation therapy.

CONCLUSIONS

An eleven-hour IPE programme resulted in improved attitudes towards interprofessional teams and interprofessional learning, as well as self-reported ability to function within an interprofessional team, and self-reported confidence, knowledge, and ability to manage people with long-term conditions. These findings indicate that a brief intervention such as this can have immediate positive effects and contribute to the development of health professionals who are ready to collaborate with others to improve patient outcomes.

French translation and validation of the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) in a Canadian undergraduate healthcare student context

The Canadian Interprofessional Health Collaborative recommends that future professionals be prepared for collaborative practice. To do so, it is necessary for them to learn about the principles of interprofessional collaboration. Therefore, to ascertain if students are predisposed, their attitude toward interprofessional learning must be assessed. In the French Canadian context such a measuring tool has not been published yet. The purpose of this study is to translate in French an adapted version of the RIPLS questionnaire and to validate it for use with undergraduate students from seven various health and social care programmes in a Canadian university. According to Vallerand's methodology, a method for translating measuring instruments: (i) the forward-backward translation indicated that six items of the experimental French version of the RIPLS needed to be more specific; (ii) the experimental French version of the RIPLS seemed clear according to the pre-test assessing items clarity; (iii) evaluation of the content validity indicated that the experimental French version of the RIPLS presents good content validity and (iv) a very good internal consistency was obtained (α = 0.90; n = 141). Results indicate that the psychometric properties of the RIPLS in French are comparable to the English version, although a different factorial structure was found. The relevance of three of the 19 items on the RIPLS scale is questionable, resulting in a revised 16-item scale. Future research aimed at validating the translated French version of the RIPLS could also be conducted in another francophone cultural context.

Internal consistency of the readiness for interprofessional learning scale in German health care students and professionals

BACKGROUND

The implementation of a bachelor degree in "Interprofessional Health Care" at the University of Heidelberg, Germany has fostered the need to evaluate the impact of this innovative programme. The Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) was developed by Parsell and Bligh (1999) to assess student's attitudes towards interprofessional education. The RIPLS consists of 19 items and four subscales were identified by McFadyen (J Interprof Care19:595-603, 2005): "teamwork and collaboration", "negative professional identity", "positive professional identity" and "roles and responsibilities". The RIPLS has been translated into a number of languages and used in a variety of different educational settings. A German version of the RIPLS was not available. Aim of the study was the translation of the RIPLS into German and testing of internal consistency.

METHODS

The RIPLS was translated to German according to international guidelines and its psychometric properties were assessed in two online surveys with two different samples a) health care graduates and b) health care students. Descriptive analysis (mean, SD, corrected item-total correlation) of the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale - German (RIPLS-D) was performed for item characteristics and Cronbach's Alpha was calculated for internal consistency of overall and subscales of the RIPLS-D.

RESULTS

Each sample consisted of 76 datasets. Reliability for the RIPLS-D overall scale was 0.83 in both samples. The subscales displayed internal consistency between 0.42 and 0.88. Corrected item-total correlation showed low values in two subscales in the sample of graduates.

CONCLUSIONS

While the overall RIPLS-D scale is reliable, several subscales showed low values and should be used with caution to measure readiness for interprofessional learning in the German health care context. Internal consistency of the instrument does not seem to be given in health care professionals at different stages of their professional career. In particular the sub-scale "roles and responsibilities" was problematic. For these reasons, the RIPLS-D cannot be recommended for use to assess this concept.

Interprofessional education in allied health: a systematic review

OBJECTIVES

During the past decade, several studies have systematically reviewed interprofessional education (IPE), but few have inclusively reviewed this literature. None has focused primarily on IPE in allied health, despite differences in recruitment and socialisation across the health professions. This systematic review seeks to uncover the best approach to pre-licensure, university-based allied health IPE to determine which aspects require modification in which contexts to provide optimal learning experiences.

METHODS

A systematic search of 10 databases was conducted for articles published in English, between January 1998 and January 2013. Studies were included if they used quantitative or qualitative methodologies to report on the outcomes associated with IPE in allied health. Two independent reviewers identified studies that met the inclusion criteria, critically appraised the included studies and extracted data relating to the effectiveness of IPE in allied health. Data were synthesised narratively to address the study aims.

RESULTS

Large gaps - relating to methods, theory and context - remain within this body of literature. Studies measured students' attitudes and understanding of other health professional roles, teamwork and knowledge in response to IPE interventions using patient scenarios, lectures and small-group work. Differences in power and curriculum placement were described as factors affecting IPE effectiveness.

CONCLUSIONS

Evaluation remains the primary aim within this literature. Few studies use theory, take an inductive approach to understanding the processes behind IPE or include detailed participant descriptions. Therefore, we suggest that IPE research is currently caught in an epistemological struggle, between assumptions underpinning biomedical and health science research, and those underpinning education studies. As part of a systems approach to understanding interprofessional socialisation, we call for researchers to take a realistic approach to evaluation that is inclusive of, and responsive to, contextual factors to explore how IPE leads to improved long-term outcomes in differing circumstances.