Abstract
Due to the recent emphasis on the importance of interprofessional education (IPE) in healthcare fields, interest in IPE introduction is increasing in South Korea. The purpose of this study was to examine the differences in perceptions of medical, nursing, and pharmacy students regarding IPE. Also, the study aimed at identifying the priority rankings of educational needs by analyzing the differences between students’ perceptions of the importance level and the present level for each interprofessional competency. A cross-sectional study was carried out using a survey. A total of 1,500 questionnaires were distributed, of which 1,084 were returned (response rate, 72.3%). The participants were 559 medical, 393 nursing, and 96 pharmacy students. The questionnaire comprised items on the students’ perception of IPE and their interprofessional competency. The questionnaire comprised 12 items on their IPE perception and 9 items on their interprofessional competency. These items were developed by examining the content validity by medical educational specialists and conducting a factor analysis for verification. Data were analyzed using the t-test and ANOVA, and Borich’s formula was used to calculate the rank of educational needs.89.6% did not know the meaning of IPE. The difference in students’ perception of IPE was not significant by grade. Further, the level of IPE perception was higher for female than male students and for students who knew the meaning of IPE than those who did not. The nursing students’ perception of the importance, preference, and effectiveness of IPE was the highest, whereas medical students’ perception was the lowest. All students perceived their present level to be lower than the importance level for each interprofessional competency. Interprofessional communication skills (6.791) were highly necessary for students. These results will serve as baseline information for developing IPE programs in South Korea.
Highlights
The purpose of an interprofessional healthcare team is to provide patient-centered collaborative treatment using the individual expertise of the team members [1]
We examined the differences in the perceptions of Interprofessional education (IPE) among medical, nursing, and pharmacy students in South Korea
This study analyzed the differences in the IPE perceptions of medical, nursing, and pharmacy students, as well as the differences between the importance level and their present level for each interprofessional competency perceived by students
Summary
The purpose of an interprofessional healthcare team is to provide patient-centered collaborative treatment using the individual expertise of the team members [1]. The maintenance of negative attitudes toward one another, ineffective communication, lack of interpersonal skills, stereotyping and lack of understanding regarding other people’s expertise, and a hierarchical organizational culture have been indicated as the causes of conflict that commonly arise in healthcare and medical professions [2,3]. Interprofessional education (IPE) emerged as one of the methods to alleviate the aforementioned problems and improve patient safety and healthcare quality [4]. The purpose of IPE is to enable students to learn how to function within an interprofessional team and use their knowledge, skills, and values in future medical settings [1]. Efforts to help students develop the necessary competence to engage in collaborative practices with healthcare professionals from other specialties after graduation form an important aspect of undergraduate education
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