The relationship between interprofessional education and health care professional's attitudes towards teamwork and interprofessional collaborative competencies

Abstract

Abstract Background The goal of interprofessional education (IPE) is to produce health care professionals who are able to collaborate effectively. Purpose This study employed a mixed method design to assess health care professional's self-reported interprofessional collaborative competencies and attitudes towards working in teams. Results The quantitative results revealed a positive correlation between self-reported attitudes towards working in teams and collaborative competencies, and a positive correlation between the type of IPE professionals completed and their ability to interact interprofessionally. The qualitative findings revealed three categories: (1) Communication, which includes two subcategories, Effective Communication and Ineffective Communication, (2) Value, and (3) Roles. Conclusion In order for health care organizations to uphold a collaborative environment, understanding the attitudes and collaborative competencies of health care professionals is a necessary first step. Additionally, understanding characteristics related to the type and amount of IPE health care professionals complete is imperative in order to design effective IPE experiences. The quantitative findings are reported here.