Health profession students’ perspective on interprofessional education in Trinidad and Tobago: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background & Objective: Interprofessional education is a significant pedagogical approach for preparing health professions students to efficiently deliver a high standard of healthcare service through teamwork and collaboration. The present study aimed to investigate the perspectives of health profession students on interprofessional education in Trinidad and Tobago. Material & Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in the academic session 2021–2022 at the University of the West Indies, Trinidad and Tobago. The online surveys were utilized from January to March 2022. A sample of 302 undergraduate students from the schools of medicine, dentistry, and veterinary medicine was considered for the study. The Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) was administered to the participants. RIPLS is made up of 19 items grouped into four subscales: teamwork and collaboration, positive professional identity, negative professional identity, and roles and responsibilities. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Science Software (SPSS). An independent sample t-test and a one-way ANOVA were used to determine the differences between the mean interprofessional education scores according to the demographic variables. Results: Participants were predominantly from the school of medicine (n = 236, 78.1%), and the majority of them were females (n = 230, 76.20%). The health profession students have a positive attitude towards interprofessional education, with the total RIPLS scores ranging between 75 and 78. There were significant differences recorded among the students of three schools in the sub-scales of teamwork and collaboration (p = 0.022), professional identity (p = 0.013), positive professional identity (p = 0.002), and overall RIPLS score (p = 0.003). However, gender (p = 0.232) and year of study (p = 0.093) did not have a significant impact on students' perceptions. Conclusion: Students believed that interprofessional education allowed them to understand the significance of teamwork and collaboration, showed respect for each other’s professions, and promoted effective communication and better learning. Additional research is required to conduct longitudinal research in healthcare professions, which will advance interprofessional education in both preclinical and clinical learning.

Keywords

• interprofessional learning
• healthcare profession
• teamwork and collaboration