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The Long‐Term Effects of an Interprofessional Education Dissection Course on Healthcare Professional Students
Author(s) -
Zheng Eric,
Palombella Andrew,
Salfi Jenn,
Bayer Ilana,
Wainman Bruce
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.31.1_supplement.392.4
Subject(s) - interprofessional education , clarity , focus group , medical education , health care , autonomy , scale (ratio) , psychology , qualitative property , nursing , medicine , biochemistry , business , physics , marketing , quantum mechanics , machine learning , economics , economic growth , chemistry , political science , computer science , law
An intensive interprofessional gross anatomy dissection course was created in 2009 to facilitate interprofessional education (IPE) at McMaster University. First year students from Medicine, Nursing, Midwifery, Physician Assistant, Occupational Therapy, and Physiotherapy programs were randomly assigned into four interprofessional teams for this 10‐week course. Previously, data was collected from 2011 to 2016 using a before/after design to measure differences in attitudes and perceptions towards IPE and collaboration using the revised Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) and Interdisciplinary Education Perception Scale (IEPS), while focus group data elaborated on the student experience with the course. Pre‐ and post‐matched data revealed significant improvements in positive professional identity, competency and autonomy, role clarity, and attitudes toward other health professions. Qualitative analysis of intraprofessional focus group interviews revealed meaningful improvements in a number of areas including learning anatomy, role clarity, and attitudes towards other health professions. The purpose of this study is to assess the long‐term effects of our IPE gross anatomy dissection course on past participants by quantitatively and qualitatively evaluating how their attitudes and perceptions have changed now that they have started working with other health care professionals outside of the IPE course setting. Past students were contacted via email and asked to fill out a follow‐up questionnaire consisting of a modified RIPLS and open‐ended questions to measure both quantitative and qualitative change, respectively. Thirty‐four past participants who have clinical experience working in an interprofessional setting or who are working in the healthcare field responded to the survey. Post‐course and follow‐up subscale score mean differences were analyzed using the Wilcoxon Signed‐Rank Test. Quantitative analysis revealed a significant decrease in teamwork and collaboration, and positive professional identity, but a significant improvement in their understanding of roles and responsibilities compared to their time in the course. Qualitative analysis of open‐ended questions revealed a number of themes including development of interprofessional competencies, anatomy learning through dissection, relationship building, and appreciation of the gross anatomy dissection course. Our results indicate that the IPE experience in anatomy was highly valued by the students and that past participants maintain a clear understanding of their scope of practice, but the reality of clinical practice may have eroded gains made in the program.