Improvement of Learning and Professional Competency among Postgraduate Students through Designing and Implementation of Interprofessional Education

Abstract

Background: Changing the approach form professional education to interprofessional education is one of the new methods in health science education. The aim of this study was to evaluate improvement of learning and professional competency among postgraduate students through designing and implementation of interprofessional education (IPE). Methods: This method was started from 1st semester of educational year of 2016-2017. First, the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) questionnaire was completed by 80 postgraduate students. Then, IPE method was implemented through lecture/group discussion and practical/laboratory workshops with attendance of students/staffs from different disciplines. For evaluation of implementation, we used Interdisciplinary Education Perception Scale (IPES). Findings: Score of RIPLS questionnaire in four domains including team work and collaboration, negative professional identity, positive professional identity, and roles and responsibilities were more than average. In IEPS questionnaire, before and after implementation, the score improved in four fields of competency and autonomy (33.55 ± 0.5 vs. 38.84 ± 4.5), perceived needs for cooperation (7.50 ± 1.97 vs. 9.07 ± 2.32), perception of actual cooperation (18.20 ± 5.39 vs. 24.53 ± 2.60), and understanding others value (11.20 ± 3.11 vs. 14.84 ± 1.67); and the most improvement was observed in field of perception of actual cooperation. Conclusion: Considering high susceptibility of post-graduate students, using education strategy based on IPE can improve health system and its responsibility in our country, and should be noticed by policymakers.

Keywords

• Students
• Education
• Learning
• Interprofessional relations