The relationship between interprofessional education experience and perceptions, values, and attitudes towards interprofessional collaboration in dietetics practice

Abstract

Abstract Interprofessional education (IPE) is associated with improved perceptions, values, and attitudes towards interprofessional (IP) collaboration, and therefore benefits patients, practitioners, and the health care system. However, little is known about how IPE translates into practice once students graduate and begin working in the field. This study examined if previous IPE experience impacts practicing Registered Dietitian Nutritionists' confidence to identify IP competencies, value of IP collaboration, attitudes towards teamwork, IP communication, and role clarity. Data were collected via electronic survey and consisted of questions about demographics, workplace characteristics, the impact of IPE, and IP collaboration concepts. The study sample consisted of graduates of a combined dietetic internship and Master's program, half of which participated in IP team seminars (IPTS) at the university. Means among the group without IPTS experience were higher for confidence to identify IPE competencies, value of IP collaboration, IP communication, and role clarity sections. The group with previous undergraduate IPE had higher means for all IP sections, with significantly higher means in the confidence to identify IPE competencies section (p-value = 0.09). A positive significant relationship was found between a physical space for IP collaboration and positive attitudes towards teamwork (p-value = 0.048). Overall, this study found participation in IPTS did not significantly improve perceptions, values, and attitudes towards IP collaboration among practicing dietitians.