Case-based interprofessional education: an evaluation of students’ learning experiences

Background: An enhanced primary care approach to managing patients with complex and chronic conditions has highlighted the need for interprofessional practice in general practice. Thus, increased knowledge of discipline contribution to care was needed. Interprofessional learning (IPL) is one method of achieving this objective. Aim: The project aimed to evaluate student learning experiences through interprofessional education (IPE) workshops utilising complex community-based clinical cases. Methods: Pre-registration students (n=375) from medicine, nursing, pharmacy, speech pathology and physiotherapy participated in 3-hour IPE workshops between 2006 and 2008. Small interprofessional groups worked to develop an integrated, collaborative care plan for community-based patients with chronic disease. Students completed a questionnaire consisting of a pre- and post-workshop self-report evaluation of their knowledge regarding interprofessional care specific to the complex case, rating of their beliefs on IPL based on the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS). Results: For each professional cohort, knowledge of interprofessional care improved (Z 14.97; P<0.02) between the professional cohorts on 15 of the 18 items on the RIPLS. Medical students were more likely to report neutral beliefs towards readiness to learn with other professions and less positive perceptions of IPL. Conclusions: Health students differ in their attitudes to IPL. Teamwork and interprofessional skills need to be learned and consistently modelled by clinical educators if knowledge, beliefs and attitudes are to change regarding IPL and practice. IPL needs to be vertically integrated with experiences early and often during student programs.