Undergraduate Healthcare Research Articles

Fear of COVID-19 pandemic (coronaphobia) amongst young adults in India

Background: The Novel Coronavirus disease has inherently brought a fear of uncertainty and continuity resulting in broad psychological effects on the mental health of the present generation. Although, few studies have tried to evaluate the degree of fear of COVID-19 but none has been done on young adults especially dental undergraduate healthcare providers so far. Hence, the present study aims to assess the fear of COVID-19 among young adults in India.Methods: A web based study was conducted on a sample of 309 dental undergraduate students of age group 18-25 years (young adults). The participants were asked for responding to a standardized online questionnaire prepared on google form that included the recently developed 7-item Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) to assess emotional fear reactions.Results: Overall mean fear score for the study population was 18.09+6.79. A significantly higher number of the study population reported low fear (56.6%). Age, place of residence, academic year, steady source of income and the students whose relative/friend got covid-19 depicted a significant difference based on the level of fear (p<0.05). Females and the students staying alone displayed higher levels of fear compared to their respective counterparts.Conclusions: Fear is a common psychological outcome during pandemics especially amongst healthcare providers as COVID-19 pandemic is a continuously evolving disease outbreak related to stress, disease contraction and dying. Thus, managing this fear in the young minds is imperative in order to reduce the psychological implications affecting their mental health due to the current COVID crisis.

Training Healthcare Professionals on How to Promote Physical Activity in the UK: A Scoping Review of Current Trends and Future Opportunities.

What physical activity (PA) training do current and future healthcare professionals (HCPs) receive in the UK? How is PA training delivered to them? The present scoping review looks at existing evidence to respond these questions. Seven databases were searched: Medline, SportDISCUS, PsycINFO, EMBASE, CINAHL, Cochrane Review Database, and Web of Science. Grey literature sources and key stakeholders were consulted. Studies were screened for inclusion, data were extracted and charted, and findings were synthesised according to the two research questions. Of the 3535 identified studies, 25 were included. The results show that no standardised approach was used to deliver PA promotion in HCPs training. PA training content was chiefly underpinned by an epidemiological approach. Online delivery of content predominated in continuing professional development training, whereas in undergraduate healthcare curriculum, delivery strategies varied. Overall, the process of embedding PA in HCPs’ curriculum and culture is ongoing. In addition to highlighting what is present within healthcare education, this study identifies further opportunities. Potential avenues include extending PA promotion into other workforces, including social workers.

Prevalence, knowledge and perception of self-medication practice among undergraduate healthcare students

BackgroundGlobally, self-medication is a common practice, and an increasingly perceived necessity to relieve burdens on health services. However, inappropriate self-medication may result to reduced health outcomes, increased antimicrobial resistance and economic waste. Healthcare students are the future health professionals who will be consistently responsible for educating the public on rational use of medication. This study therefore aimed to assess the prevalence, knowledge and perception of self-medication practices among healthcare students.MethodsA cross-sectional study was carried out among 866 healthcare students in a Nigerian University, comprising medical, nursing and pharmacy students. Information was garnered from respondents using a self-administered questionnaire. Data were summarized with descriptive statistics, while Chi-square and logistic regression tests were used for categorical variables at p < 0.05.ResultsMean age was 21 ± 2.8 years, and female respondents were 447 (51.6%). Prevalence of self-medication among respondents was 473 (54.6%). A total of 288 (55.3%) demonstrated good knowledge of self-medication practices, comprising 250 (52.2%) among those who have previously self-medicated and 229 (47.8%) among those who had not. Reasons for engaging in self-medication practices were mentioned to include treatment of minor ailments (357; 32.4%), while 248 (22.5%) believed they had the medical knowledge of what to use. Analgesic (353; 30.1%), antimalarial (352; 30.0%), and antibiotics (182; 15.5%) were the commonest classes of medication used for self-medication. Headache (363; 18.4%), malaria (334; 16.9%), and cough (184; 9.3%) were the most frequently treated conditions. More than half (281; 59.4%) of the respondents’ purchased their self-medicated drugs from the community pharmacy. Gender and respondents’ disciplines were found to be the independent predictors for good knowledge of self-medication practice.ConclusionPrevalence of self-medication among the studied healthcare students is moderately high, while approximately half demonstrates good knowledge and perception of self-medication practices. Stimulation for self-medication practice largely arise from the perception of treating minor ailments. This underscores a need for advocacy on responsible self-medication practice during the formal training of these future health professionals, in order to avert its imminent/widespread negative consequences.

Editorial for JCBE

Editorial for JCBE

Promoting students from ethnic minorities as change agents through the development of a Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) virtual wobble room

COVID-19 has presented significant challenges for higher education. These challenges were compounded for those teaching or studying towards healthcare degrees, where students were still undertaking clinical placements and delivering care in clinical practice. As the number of deaths from COVID-19 continued to rise, health disparities amongst Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) populations became increasingly apparent. In April 2020, a weekly virtual wobble room was created to support student  wellbeing, alleviate distress and to strengthen student-staff partnerships in a large School of Health Sciences in the East Midlands . The BAME virtual wobble room provided a 1.5 hour weekly virtual drop-in session. Each wobble room was facilitated by four staff sponsors on a rotational basis and were attended by an average of 20 students each week, from undergraduate and postgraduate healthcare courses, including nursing, midwifery, physiotherapy, and those studying for a PhD in health science. This paper reports on the approaches and outcomes of the wobble room, which continues to run, including lessons learnt through co-production methods between students and staff, in developing a safe space to address inequalities and structural disparities.

An evaluation of the experiences of the hidden curriculum of Black and minority ethnic undergraduate health and social care students at a London university

ABSTRACT Black and minority ethnic (BME) students are less likely to achieve a first or upper-class second degree than White students. This evaluation investigated the experiences of BME Health and Social Care students at a London university of the hidden curriculum, thematically analysed through a critical race lens. Four overarching themes were identified, (1) super-visible ethnicity, (2) the negative depiction of BME lived experiences, (3) self-depreciation and self-confidence and (4) separation. Recommendations at an institution-level are made in the areas of staff diversity, language support, student registration experiences and canteen costs. Recommendations at a course-level are made in the areas of co-creation of the curriculum, student belonging, academic and literacy skill development. The recommendations are underpinned by a critical pedagogy, including culturally sensitive teaching strategies and the development of meaningful staff-student partnerships. The recommendations made may be applicable to other Higher Education Institutions with a diverse student cohort where the attainment gap is prevalent.

Young@Heart clinic: a feasibility study of an undergraduate pharmacy student-led blood pressure and healthy lifestyle clinic.

Student-led clinics offer a work-based learning (WBL) opportunity for undergraduate healthcare students to engage with professional activities in a real-life setting. Participation is posited to provide experiential learning and prepare students for clinical practice. This study aims to assess the feasibility of establishing and engaging undergraduate students in one such initiative through the collaboration between one School of Pharmacy and local authority. The clinic was developed using a logic model and delivered in 2019-2020. A service specification and training were developed and provided to volunteering undergraduate pharmacy students. Anonymised service data were collected and process outcomes around student and public engagement were recorded to assess feasibility for longer-term embedding into the undergraduate programme. The clinic was operational for 20 days from November 2019 to February 2020. Student volunteers (n = 43, 36.7%) were trained and provided blood pressure screening and healthy living advice to 131 members of the public. Student drop-out occurred due to the voluntary nature of the initiative. Collaborative working with the local authority facilitated this WBL experience outside conventional clinical environments. The study demonstrated the potential for students to participate in service provision. This offers value to the local population through a health prevention service when a structured approach to the design and delivery of the educational experience is undertaken. The study provides insight into how the WBL can work, what it requires (e.g. resource, preparation), and learning to inform the wider implementation of this WBL into the undergraduate curriculum.

Barriers and facilitators to implementing a longitudinal dementia education programme into undergraduate healthcare curricula: a qualitative study

BackgroundAs the numbers of people with dementia worldwide rises, there is a need for improved knowledge and awareness about the condition across the healthcare workforce. There are concerns that traditional models of healthcare education, which focus on short-term episodes of care, limit student understanding of long-term conditions. We therefore designed and delivered the Time for Dementia programme at five Universities in the UK. Through longitudinal contact with families living with dementia, healthcare students gain increased understanding about the experiences of living with dementia. However, implementing new educational models brings challenges. To enable implementation of similar programmes in other educational institutions, this study aimed to identify the common barriers and facilitators of implementing these types of longitudinal programmes at scale.MethodsTo understand the facilitators and barriers of implementing a longitudinal dementia educational programme, a qualitative study was completed. Between October and December 2018, twelve in-depth semi-structured interviews were completed with university teaching staff (n = 6), programme administrators (n = 4), and Alzheimer’s Society staff (n = 2) that had key responsibilities for implementing Time for Dementia. Interview questions explored participants experiences, the facilitators, and the challenges encountered when implementing the programme. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analysed using inductive thematic analysis.ResultsThe analysis identified five key themes: “Leadership characteristics”, “Organisational and student buy-in”, “Perceived value and motivating factors”, “Team coalition and support”, and “Time and fit”. Implementation of the programme was enhanced by resilient leaders managing the challenges of curricular change. Their belief in the value of the programme, stakeholder buy-in, and supportive team working enabled challenges to be overcome. Workload was reduced and student buy-in increased as time progressed and as more resources became available. A flexible approach to implementation was recommended to ensure the programme fits within the established curriculum.ConclusionCurricular change is a challenging task, yet necessary, if we are to improve care for people with long term conditions such as dementia. This study highlights the common barriers and facilitators experienced when implementing a longitudinal educational programme at scale. The findings presented in this study can be used by other educational institutions to manage curricular change efforts.

Evidence-based practice and evidence-informed practice competencies in undergraduate pre-registration nursing curricula: A document analysis at a university in England

BackgroundIn response to the heightened emphasis on incorporating the best available evidence into healthcare decision-making, healthcare training institutions have been actively incorporating Evidence-Based Practice (EBP), and/or Evidence-Informed Practice (EIP) competencies into undergraduate healthcare curricula. However, there is a gap in the scientific knowledge about the actual contents, as well as the extent of integration of EBP and EIP in undergraduate pre-registration nursing programmes. MethodA document analysis utilising Rohwer et al.’s (2014) framework was conducted to review and analyse the content of EBP and EIP competencies in the 2018/2019 curriculum of the undergraduate pre-registration nursing programme of a University located in England, United Kingdom. ResultsCompetencies relevant to EBP were included in four nursing modules. However, EIP competencies were not included in the curriculum. ConclusionThere is an urgent need for a more structured and holistic way of teaching and assessing EBP competencies through the integration of the principles of EIP, in order to enhance the effective application of evidence into clinical nursing practice.

Knowledge, Attitude, and Emotional Problems Regarding COVID-19 among Undergraduate Nursing Students

Background: Undergraduate nursing students considered from the most vulnerable group who are at risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection. To protect undergraduate nursing students' healthcare authorities should keep them away from stress and anxiety and improve their knowledge, attitude, and practice towards COVID-19. The study aimed to assess knowledge, attitude, and emotional problems regarding COVID-19 among undergraduate nursing students. Methods: Design: A descriptive, web based-cross-sectional study was used. A convenient sample of all 280 undergraduate nursing students in the Faculty of Nursing Sohag University was included in the study from 20 June to 2 July 2020. Tools: A self-administered related questionnaire was designed using Google forms regarding the COVID-19 related KA, the link of the survey was sent to the respondents via Whatsapp groups and depression, anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS). Results: The majority of the undergraduate nursing students were knowledgeable about COVID-19 which indicating a high level of knowledge and indicating optimistic attitudes. As regard emotional problems, the result presents that 70 % of the undergraduate nursing students suffered from a moderate level of stress, while only 11 % were normal. Regarding anxiety level, detected that 60 % of the undergraduate nursing students suffered from moderate anxiety, while 18 % of them were normal. Related to depression level, 35 % of undergraduate nursing students suffered from a moderate level of depression. Conclusion: more than two-thirds of undergraduates nursing students suffered from a moderate level of stress, less than two-thirds of them suffered from moderate anxiety, while around one-tenth of them were normal, and more than one third of them suffered from a moderate level of depression. Recommendations: the study suggested the need for additional research on predictive factors affecting people's stress in the era of COVID-19 outbreak and carried out intervention activities through various mediums to help undergraduates nursing students become more knowledgeable during the COVID-19 epidemic.

Psychiatric training during covid-19 pandemic benefits from integrated practice in interprofessional teams and ecological momentary e-assessment.

During the current covid-19 pandemic, healthcare students had to stop their face-to-face attendance at medical colleges and universities. This condition has resulted in a change in how learning and assessment of psychiatric and interprofessional practice occur. The pandemic has also increased clinical mentors' need to follow their mentees' educational progress via virtual technology, including smartphone-based educational apps. The aim of the study is to propose a model in psychiatric and medical interprofessional practice e-assessment. In this study, 228 undergraduate healthcare students underwent a training period in interprofessional practice across specialties being assessed by Ecological Momentary e-Assessment (EMeA), and consisting of ongoing or before/after Interprofessional Education (IPE) learning evaluations with the assistance of an IPE-app linked to online surveys. The Goodness of Fit Test Chi-square and t-test statistics analyzed the data. Surveys during, at entry and exit points in IPE captured increased percentages of learners, specifically, reporting high patient satisfaction with interprofessional teams (c2=22.54; p<.01), learners experiencing very good quality of care when delivered by interprofessional teams (c2=30.02; p<.01) assessed by distance technology, and learners selecting less frequently peers from the same clinical background when support was needed in patient care (c2=19.84; p<.01). Contextual assessment (in the real-time and real-world scenario) of IPE learning moments via EMeA shows its value and applicability during the current covid-19 pandemic when the assessment of learning cannot occur face-to-face between learners and teachers. All healthcare students, including those on psychiatric rotations, could log in their progress, self-reflective assessments, and responses to coordinated care in interprofessional teams, without needing direct contact with their clinical tutors, and while treating patients with mental and physical illnesses, also including covid-19 positive patients.

Improving Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Two-Spirit Content in a Radiation Therapy Undergraduate Curriculum

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and two-spirit plus (LGBTQ2S+) people have distinct healthcare needs that may be unaddressed in many undergraduate healthcare curricula. The Radiation Therapy Program (RADTH) at the University of Alberta underwent a review of the three-year didactic curriculum using an online survey. The survey sought to ascertain if, where and how topics related to LGBTQ2S + healthcare are taught. Results indicated that out of 10 RADTH program faculty respondents, three teach related topics. The total time dedicated within the three-year curriculum was approximately three and a half hours. Other findings showed that faculty are interested in receiving more education in this area and would favour discussions about how to incorporate these themes into appropriate courses. This preliminary investigation demonstrated that there has been some initial work in this area, but there is more to be done.

COVID-19 era healthcare ethics education: Cultivating educational and moral resilience.

The COVID-19 pandemic crisis has had profound effects on global health, healthcare, and public health policy. It has also impacted education. Within undergraduate healthcare education of doctors, nurses, and allied professions, rapid shifts to distance learning and pedagogic content creation within new realities, demands of healthcare practice settings, shortened curricula, and/or earlier graduation have also challenged ethics teaching in terms of curriculum allotments or content specification. We propose expanding the notion of resilience to the field of ethics education under the conditions of remote learning. Educational resilience starts in the virtual classroom of ethics teaching, initially constituted as an "unpurposed space" of exchange about the pandemic's challenging impact on students and educators. This continuously transforms into "purposed space" of reflection, discovering ethics as a repertory of orientative knowledge for addressing the pandemic's challenges on personal, professional, societal, and global levels and for discovering (and then addressing) that the health of individuals and populations also has moral determinants. As such, an educational resilience framework with inherent adaptability rises to the challenge of supporting the moral agency of students acting both as professionals and as global citizens. Educational resilience is key in supporting and sustaining professional identify formation and facilitating the development of students' moral resilience and leadership amid moral complexity and potential moral transgression-not only but especially in times of pandemic.

Level of Stresses and Coping Strategies in Management of Stress in Healthcare Undergraduates; Sri Lankan University Perspectives

University is the best platform which provides opportunities for undergraduates to develop their successful career. However, it is noticed that university life has become stressful for undergraduates due to different reasons. Stress is known as a serious issue which affects the performance of undergraduates of healthcare system. Coping strategies are in demand for managing stress in the context of delivering prudent healthcare professionals to the nation. This study aimed to identify the types of stressors and coping strategies practiced by healthcare undergraduates of University of Ruhuna, Sri Lanka. The study was based on a cross sectional survey. Data were collected from 343 healthcare undergraduates from Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, University of Ruhuna, having used stratified random sampling method and a self-administered structured questionnaire. Data were analysed using SPSS version 16.0 software. The study revealed that majority of undergraduates (98.8%) were affected by stress. The level of stress reported regarding examinations was very high (52.7%) compare to the other stressors. Results showed that the commonly practiced coping strategies were sleeping (93.6%) and talking to a friend/ meeting loved ones (89.8%). Results suggested that facilities rendered by two faculties including student counselling services (79.9%), mentoring programme (75.8%) and career guidance services (69.4%) were used by considerable number of undergraduates as coping strategies. There were statistical significant differences among coping strategies with regard to gender, year of study, faculty and degree programme. Our findings suggested that the majority of healthcare undergraduates in University of Ruhuna were affected by stress. The present study revealed that most of students used positive stress management strategies while some students used maladaptive coping strategies. The results provided valuable information for academics in healthcare undergraduate programmes and university administrators in supporting students with stress.

Knowledge of Avulsion of Permanent Teeth Emergency Management Among Undergraduate in Brazilian Health Care Students

Objective: To assess the knowledge of undergraduate health care students, about avulsion of permanent teeth. Material and Methods: It is a cross-sectional study. The sample consisted of Brazilian undergraduate students of the nursing, medicine, and dentistry degree programs. A structured questionnaire developed by the researchers, containing 18 objective questions about avulsion of permanent teeth was used as the data collection. Data analysis included Pearson's Chi-square and Fisher's Exact. Results: A total of 82.7% dental students, 22.9% nursing students, and 23% medical students had previously received some information about dental trauma. Students in the second half of the dentistry program had a higher percentage of correct answers in all questions (p<0.05). Being in the first or second half of the nursing program had no relation to the percentage of correct answers by students for any questions (p>0.05). Students in the first half of the medical program had a higher percentage of correct answers for six of these questions (p<0.05). Dentistry students had the highest percentage of correct answers in all the questions (p<0.001). Conclusion: Although students from the dentistry degree program report having information on avulsion of permanent teeth, their practical experience was considered low. Upon comparing students from the dentistry, nursing, and medical degree programs regarding their learning about avulsion of permanent teeth, dentistry students had greater knowledge on the subject.

An exploratory study of undergraduate healthcare student perspectives regarding human papillomavirus and vaccine intent in India.

Objective:Safe and effective human papillomavirus vaccines are available against cervical cancer and other human papillomavirus–associated diseases. Vaccine uptake is low in India given lack of universal vaccination programme. This exploratory study describes the medical, dental and nursing undergraduate student perspectives about human papillomavirus and intentions to receive the vaccine.Methods:Using a cross-sectional, explorative study design, we conducted two focus group discussions among a convenience sample of male (n = 11) and female (n = 9) student group aged ⩾18 years, respectively, at a medical college in South India. The focus group discussion sessions were recorded, transcribed and analysed using thematic content analysis.Results:Over half of the students showed adequate knowledge of cervical cancer and human papillomavirus. Medical students had much in-depth knowledge of cervical cancer, vaccine cost and its side effects compared to dental and nursing students. Human papillomavirus vaccine knowledge was relatively less among males compared to females; most male participants were unaware of the availability of the human papillomavirus vaccine. Intention to receive the vaccine was higher among females than males. All the participants had positive attitude in creating awareness in the community and making the vaccine cost-effective. Cultural concerns and high vaccine cost were cited major barriers for vaccine uptake. Suggestion of physician recommendation in promotion of human papillomavirus vaccine uptake was an emerging theme.Conclusion:Educating male students and those enrolled in dental and nursing courses about human papillomavirus vaccine, addressing cultural concerns and advocating provider recommendation for promoting vaccine uptake are potential strategies to improve future human papillomavirus vaccine intent among students and recommendations to patients in their role as future healthcare provider.

Student nurses' experience using a serious game to learn environmental hazard and safety assessment

Knowledge acquisition facilitated by computer games, also referred to as digital game-based learning, is growing in popularity as an educational modality for healthcare disciplines. There is a dearth of research specifically focused on students' perception and lived experience of a serious game, which is a game primarily designed for educational purposes. This qualitative study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of using a serious game to teach hazard and safety assessments in community and residential healthcare settings. Using a phenomenological approach semi-structured interviews collected data about students' experience using the game ‘Safe Environments’. Eight students from undergraduate healthcare programs participated. Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis was conducted. Themes and sub-themes identified nuances explaining the impact of prior knowledge, technical ability, and engagement on achievement of learning outcomes. The dynamic interrelationship and influence of themes are illustrated in the KNavEL Model, which explains the complexity of individuals' understanding and perceptions of learning through gaming. This study demonstrates that learning outcomes are directly influenced by the degree of engagement with the game. This in turn is influenced by what the student brings to the game by way of knowledge, experience navigating technology, and the subject matter. The results give voice to students' experiences and provide new insights into understanding the learning processes inherent in using serious games in health education.

Undergraduate healthcare students' personal experiences with older adults : A qualitative description study

BackgroundUnderstanding students' experiences with regard to older adults is important for educators in developing specific educational strategies to encourage future healthcare professionals to consider the geriatric field as a career choice. ObjectivesThe study explored Italian university healthcare students' experiences with older people and their perceptions of them at the beginning of their course. DesignA qualitative descriptive design. SettingsA Faculty of Medicine in Italy. ParticipantsA sample of 15 students enrolled in healthcare courses was included. MethodsSemistructured interviews were conducted. The data were analyzed using inductive content analysis. ResultsSix categories were identified. The young Italian students' first experiences with older adults were with their grandparents, representing their first models of aging. Grandparents were sources of emotional support. Older adults were seen as custodians of collective memory and as a guide for younger generations. The intergenerational relationship was characterized by respect and reciprocity. Young adults recognize the frailty and vulnerability of older adults and view intergenerational solidarity as a way to protect them. They imagined their own old age as characterized by strong family relationships and by active aging, due to their personal experience with their grandparents. ConclusionsThis study revealed mainly positive experiences and attitudes of healthcare students toward older adults. The students' relationships with their grandparents contributed greatly to this outcome.

Nasal carriage of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus among healthcare undergraduates in Malaysia

Staphylococcus aureus is a common component of skin flora of healthy adults. However, it can cause serious infections such as bloodstream infections, pneumonia, or bone and joint infections. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is known to cause hospital- (HA-MRSA) and community-acquired (CA-MRSA) infections worldwide. Asia is reported to have highest prevalence rates of HA-MRSA and CA-MRSA. As there were very less number of epidemiological studies being done in Malaysia, this study aimed to determine the prevalence of MRSA infection among the healthcare undergraduates who will be engaging with patients soon. We analyzed nasal swabs of students from a private medical institution in Klang Valley, Malaysia. Methicillin-resistance was accessed by sensitivity to the Oxacillin and Cefoxitin disks. In a total of 151 healthcare undergraduates, 117 of them were found positive for Staphylococcus aureus. Among the latter, 21 samples (13.9%) were resistant to Oxacillin and Cefoxitin. Our data shows significant high percentage of MRSA infection and therefore prevention strategies for MRSA need to be developed for the healthcare students before they engage with patients in clinic setting. Keywords: MRSA, nasal swab, healthcare undergraduates, Oxacillin.

The Interaction with Disabled Persons Scale: evidencing construct validity with factor analysis and measurement invariance in Greek-speaking healthcare students

Purpose To explore the construct validity and reliability of the Greek version of the Interaction with Disabled Persons Scale (IDPS) amongst healthcare students. Methods Greek IDPS factors were extracted and confirmed by Analysis of Moment Structures. Measurement invariance for the group of students completing a clinical module with people with disabilities was also evaluated. The scale was distributed twice, 3 weeks apart (test-retest reliability) to sample. Greek IDPS scores amongst students with frequent contact with people with disabilities were compared with those with infrequent contact (discriminant validity). Results 327 healthcare students (21.25 ± 4.3 years, 118 males) participated. Exploratory factor analysis extracted 6 factors explaining 55.66% of total variance. Confirmatory factor analysis showed a good fit of the model (AGFI = 0.95 > 0.90, RMSEA = 0.07 < 0.08, CFI = 0.95 ≥ 0.90, SRMR = 0.00 < 0.08). An adequate fit for the students completing a clinical practice module was observed. The scale’s test-retest reliability and internal consistency were excellent; ICC(2,1)=0.86 (CIs:0.82–0.89) and Cronbach’s α = 0.87, respectively. Statistically significant differences between the two student groups were yielded; students with frequent contact with people with disabilities had lower scores (mean difference: −4.5; CI: −6.6 to −2.4), suggesting that they were significantly more comfortable with people with disabilities than the students with infrequent contact. Conclusion The Greek IDPS provided sufficient validity and reliability evidence for evaluating healthcare students’ perceptions and attitudes towards people with disabilities. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION The Greek IDPS demonstrated sufficient validity and reliability evidence to assess the Greek-speaking healthcare students’ perceptions and attitudes towards people with disabilities Completing a clinical module working with people with disabilities is not enough to produce adequately positive attitudes in Greek-speaking undergraduate healthcare students. Therefore, faculties need to organize further actions, such as lectures by people with disabilities, students’ role play, and discussions or events in co-operation with people with disabilities.