Measuring Student Interprofessional Skills in the Roles/Responsibilities Competency.

Abstract

To assess students' perceptions and knowledge of interprofessional collaborative practice related to the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) Roles/Responsibilities (RRs) competency after engagement in interprofessional education experiences. Thirty physician assistant students were surveyed 3 times during the clinical year to assess the level of collaborative engagement with 5 professions. The level of engagement was assessed utilizing a 5-point Likert scale, and an open-ended question measured student knowledge of other professionals' roles. Student responses indicated that the level of engagement was greatest during the first clinical semester overall for all 3 levels of engagement. An increase in the level of engagement was noted for 2 professions over the one-year study period. Students also provided examples of opportunities where they relied on the expertise of another profession during the clinical rotation year. Study results confirm student acquisition of 2 IPEC RR subcompetencies during clinical rotations. However, there remains a gap in correlating interprofessional education with interprofessional collaborative practice.