Towards Interprofessional Education and Collaboration to Improve Students’ Competences

Evaluation of interprofessional collaboration in a teaching session in patient partnership in pharmacy education

Patient partnership in health education promotes collaborative and humanistic care. In pharmacy education, however, this approach remains uncommon. We aimed to co‐construct and assess a teaching session on pain management and dispensing refusal, involving patients as full partners. A participatory approach was used. A first focus group (patients, educators, pharmacist, educational researcher, student) defined the curriculum's goals and key skills. A second focus group co‐developed a video of a dispensing refusal scenario. The final session, integrated into the third‐year pharmacy curriculum, used this video and Wooclap® for interaction. Student self‐efficacy and attitudes were assessed via pre/post‐questionnaires and focus group feedback. Interprofessional collaboration was analysed using D'Amour's framework. Students reported better knowledge of pain types and analgesic mechanisms, but also stronger soft skills: listening, non‐judgement, and patient support. They increasingly recognized the importance of explaining treatment and adapting strategies. The co‐construction process strengthened collaboration between team members. Patients contributed experiential knowledge to the teaching design and objectives, while professionals ensured alignment with academic standards. Interprofessional collaboration was classified as active. This pilot supports the feasibility and impact of involving patient partners in designing pharmacy education. The session improved both technical and relational competencies. Patient involvement helped shift from a provider‐centred to a partnership model. Future work should explore including patients as assessors in student evaluations, enabling them to co‐evaluate both knowledge and interpersonal skills in authentic scenarios.

Interprofessional education with medicine and physician associate students enhances the understanding of roles and responsibilities and highlights the importance of collaborative practice-a mixed‑methods study.

Interprofessional education (IPE) plays a key role in preparing healthcare professionals for future collaborative practice. We explored the attitudes of first-year medical and physician associate (PA) students toward the team approach to care. Students participated in three IPE sessions, using cases designed to prompt discussion regarding professional roles, responsibilities, and team dynamics. We explored the impact of the sessions using the Students Perceptions of Interprofessional Clinical Education-Revised (SPICE-R2) instrument and focus groups. Fifty students completed the presurvey, and 48 students completed the postsurvey. There were increases in mean scores related to "teamwork and collaboration," "roles and responsibilities," and "patient outcomes." Focus group data suggested that both medical and PA students agreed that their education benefitted from the IPE sessions and that their ability to practice effectively as part of an interprofessional team would be enhanced as a result. Many students admitted to not having a clear understanding of their respective roles before the sessions and agreed that care delivered as part of an interprofessional team would positively impact patient care and reduce healthcare costs. The sessions helped students to understand their respective roles and responsibilities, and the importance of collaborative practice in improving patient outcomes.

Interprofessional education curriculum and the knowledge of interdisciplinarity and multidisciplinary among undergraduate dental students

Shortcomings of modeling interprofessional collaboration competence in nurse education: A protocol for a scoping review of empirical research

A scoping review aims to identify shortcomings in theoretical and empirical modeling of nursing students’ interprofessional collaboration competence (ICC), informing the development of more effective educational interventions for the ICC of nursing students, and others.

Attitudes Toward Interprofessional Education Among Students of Oral Health Care in Finland-A Cross-Sectional Study.

PURPOSE Interprofessional education (IPE) is increasingly recognized as a critical component of the training of oral healthcare professionals, aiming to enhance collaboration and improve patient outcomes. This exploratory study evaluated the attitudes of undergraduate students of dentistry, dental hygiene, and dental assisting toward IPE. METHODS A mixed-methods approach was used, involving the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale questionnaire. RESULTS Of the 104 respondents, 44 were dental students, 46 were dental hygiene students, and 14 were dental assistant students. In total, 55% reported having experience of IPE. Quantitative analysis revealed that the respondents were receptive to the idea that incorporating shared learning in their curricula will benefit communication, teamwork skills, and patient care. A statistically significantly weaker identification with a professional role in the context of interprofessional collaboration of dental students and dental hygiene students was found compared with dental assistant students (p < 0.01). Dental and dental hygiene students perceived IPE less beneficial to their professional development than dental assistant students. However, individual variation of opinion in valuing collaborative relationships with other healthcare professionals was evident. Qualitative data supported these findings, with students of all disciplines reporting an appreciation for interprofessional collaboration particularly in clinical practice. CONCLUSIONS Oral health care students had, on average, a positive attitude toward IPE. Within the limitations of this small sample, our findings suggest that structured IPE programs are well-received by undergraduate students and enhance collaborative clinical practice competencies.

Occupational Therapy Students’ Demonstration of Interprofessional Competencies During Simulation: An Observational Analysis

Observational insights contributed to refining educational practices and advancing interprofessional education initiatives while preparing OT students for their transition from campus to community.