Students' perceptions on interprofessional education: An exploration of attitudes and awareness among medical and dental students

Abstract

Aim and Objective: The aim of this study was to assess and evaluate medical and dental students' understanding and attitudes toward interprofessional education (IPE). Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire research was conducted among final year and interns of randomly selected medical and dental institutions in Guntur, a district in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. A 14-item self-administered questionnaire was employed for gathering information from 240 randomly selected participants (120 medical and 120 dental). For statistical analysis, a Chi-square test and logistic regression were undertaken, with a significance level of P < 0.05. Results: The research outcome showed that 49.7% of medical and 50.3% of dental students were not aware of IPE (P = 1.000). Among respondents, 45.3% of medical and 54.7% of dental participants agreed that patients would eventually benefit from health-care provision if students explored together (P = 0.001). Of the students replied, 43.5% of medical and 56.5% of dental students expressed that IPE in the curricula will increase work productivity (P = 0.000). Among respondents, 47.7% of medical and 52.3% of dental students agreed on IPE as an effective communication tool with the patients (P = 0.060). In terms of interest in acquiring clinical skills besides other health-care disciplines, a statistically significant difference between medical and dental students (P = 0.013) was observed. Conclusion: The study revealed that IPE was appreciated by both medicine and dentistry students, and that incorporating IPE into their curricula would enhance patient and health-care satisfaction.