Health Students’ Perceptions of Acquired Interprofessional Education Competencies in Community Settings
Main Article Content
Abstract
Implementing interprofessional education (IPE) in a community setting is beneficial for both students and the community. However, there is a lack of understanding regarding how IPE competencies are acquired. This study assessed students’ perceptions of IPE implementation in the community across multiple institutions. Additionally, we explored the experiences of students and instructors during IPE implementation. The study employed a mixed-method design. Students from four institutions with IPE programmes in a community setting were asked to complete a standardised questionnaire covering four domains related to learning outcomes: (a) understanding ethics and values, (b) roles and responsibilities, (c) communication, and (d) teamwork. A Kruskal-Wallis test was conducted to identify differences in students’ perceptions across institutions. Furthermore, we used thematic analysis to examine data from focus group discussions (FGDs) with students and lecturers to gain deeper insights into their experiences in acquiring competencies and implementing IPE. Of 1,054 participants from four institutions, 970 returned the questionnaires, including 566 medical, 135 nursing, 145 nutrition, and 126 midwifery students, for a response rate of 92%. All students held positive perceptions of the competencies, though perceptions varied across institutions. The qualitative study revealed that both students and instructors valued the experiences of acquiring competencies, which also benefited community members. Students have positive perceptions of the competencies gained through IPE implementation in a community setting. Developing feasible assessment methods and tools across all institutions is essential. Additionally, the programme enhances the well-being of both students and the community.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
References
Health Professions Network Nursing and Midwifery Office; Department of Human Resources for Health. Framework for action on interprofessional education and collaborative practice. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization; 2010.
Reeves S, Xyrichis A, Zwarenstein M. Teamwork, collaboration, coordination, and networking: why we need to distinguish between different types of interprofessional practice. J Interprof Care. 2018;32(1):1–3. https://doi.org/10.1080/13561820.2017.1400150
Reumerman MO, Richir MC, Nieuwenhuis PMD, Sultan R, Daelmans HEM, Springer H, et al. The clinical and educational outcomes of an inter-professional student-led medication review team, a pilot study. Eur J Clin Pharmacol. 2021;77(1):117–23. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00228-020-02972-3
Thistlethwaite J. Interprofessional education: a review of context, learning and the research agenda. Med Educ. 2012;46:58–70. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2923.2011.04143.x
Krystallidou D, Kersbergen MJ, de Groot E, Fluit CRMG, Kuijer-Siebelink W, Mertens F, et al. Interprofessional education for healthcare professionals. A BEME realist review of what works, why, for whom and in what circumstances in undergraduate health sciences education: BEME Guide No. 83. Med Teach;46(12):1607–24. https://doi.org/10.1080/0142159X.2024.2314203
Ezeonwu M. Community-based education in global low-resource settings: a unique interprofessional collaborative experience in primary care delivery. Pedagog Heal Promot. 2020;6(1):56–62. https://doi.org/10.1177/2373379919891183
Guraya SY, Barr H. The effectiveness of interprofessional education in healthcare: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Kaohsiung J Med Sci. 2018;34(3):160–5. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.kjms.2017.12.009
Lestari E, Scherpbier A, Stalmeijer R. Stimulating students’ interprofessional teamwork skills through community-based education: a mixed methods evaluation. J Multidiscip Healthc. 2020;13:1143–55. https://doi.org/10.2147/JMDH.S267732
Opina-Tan LA. A pilot implementation of interprofessional education in a community-academe partnership in the Philippines. Educ Health. 2013;26(3):164–71. https://doi.org/10.4103/1357-6283.125992
Schmitt M, Blue A, Aschenbrener CA, Viggiano TR. Core competencies for interprofessional collaborative practice: reforming health care by transforming health professionals’ education. Acad Med. 2011;86(11):1351. https://doi.org/10.1097/ACM.0b013e3182308e39
Sunnybrook Health Science Centre (SHSC) [Internet]. Toronto, Canada: SHSC; 2017 [cited 2025 Mar 18]. Framework and strategy working and learning together for the best possible care; Available from: https://sunnybrook.ca/uploads/1/welcome/strategy/170630-icp-framework.pdf
van Diggele C, Roberts C, Burgess A, Mellis C. Interprofessional education: tips for design and implementation. BMC Med Educ. 2020;20(Suppl 2):455. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-020-02286-z
Bally JMG, Spurr S, Hyslop S, Hodgson-Viden H, McNair ED. Using an interprofessional competency framework to enhance collaborative pediatric nursing education and practice. BMC Nurs. 2022;21(1):147. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-022-00932-z
Brashers V, Haizlip J, Owen JA. The ASPIRE Model: grounding the IPEC core competencies for interprofessional collaborative practice within a foundational framework. J Interprof Care. 2020;34(1):128–32. https://doi.org/10.1080/13561820.2019.1624513
Naumann F, Mullins R, Cawte A, Beavis S, Musial J, Hannan-Jones M. Designing, implementing and sustaining IPE within an authentic clinical environment: the impact on student learning. J Interprof Care. 2021;35(6):907–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/13561820.2020.1837748
Sicks S, Umland E, Koch A, Hass RW, Tenpa J. Measuring interprofessional education and collaborative practice competencies: a content validity study of the Jefferson Teamwork Observation Guide®. J Interprof Care. 2022;36(5):691–7. https://doi.org/10.1080/13561820.2021.1972946
Kristina TN, Asmara FY, Sudaryanto S, Nuryanto N, Bakri S. Increasing the value of community based education through interprofessional education. Asia Pacific Sch. 2023;8(2):4–13. https://doi.org/10.29060/TAPS.2023-8-2/OA2755
Irawaty D. Indonesia Accreditation Agency for Higher Education in Health (IAAHEH) Support of the Inter-Professional Clinical Practice. In: Capacity building for next generation quality assurance in higher education: materials of APQN Conference and AGM 2018. Asia-Pacific Quality Network; 2018 [cited 2025 Mar 19]. p. 56–64. Available from: https://apqn.org/images/events/APQN-2018-Conference-and-AGM/publication/Publication_of_2018.pdf
Randita A, Widyandana W, Claramita M. IPE-COM: a pilot study on interprofessional learning design for medical and midwifery students. J Multidiscip Healthc. 2019;12:767–75. https://doi.org/10.2147/JMDH.S202522
Archibald D, Trumpower D, MacDonald CJ. Validation of the interprofessional collaborative competency attainment survey (ICCAS). J Interprof Care. 2014;28(6):553–8. https://doi.org/10.3109/13561820.2014.917407
Farooq S, Rehman R, Hussain M, Maria JM. Comparison of undergraduate educational environment in medical and nursing program using the DREEM tool. Nurse Educ Today. 2018;6:74–80. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2018.06.031
Kim K, Ko J. Attitudes toward interprofessional health care teams scale : a confirmatory factor analysis. J Interprof Care. 2014;28(2):149–54. https://doi.org/10.3109/13561820.2013.857645
Mahler C, Berger S, Reeves S. The Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS): a problematic evaluative scale for the interprofessional field. J Interprof Care. 2015;29(4):289–91. https://doi.org/10.3109/13561820.2015.1059652
Mcfadyen AK, Maclaren WM, Webster VS, Maclaren WM, Interdisciplinary VSWT. The Interdisciplinary Education Perception Scale (IEPS): an alternative remodelled sub-scale structure and its reliability. J Interprof Care. 2007;21(4):433–43. https://doi.org/10.1080/13561820701352531
Shrader S, Kern D, Zoller J, Blue A. Interprofessional teamwork skills as predictors of clinical outcomes in a simulated healthcare setting. J Allied Health. 2013;42(1):e1–e6.
Braun V, Clarke V. What can “thematic analysis” offer health and wellbeing researchers? Int J Qual Stud Health Well-being. 2014;9(1):26152. https://doi.org/10.3402/qhw.v9.26152
Cranmer JN, Baumgardner J, Cohen S, Dettinger J, Kestler E, Holme F, et al. Improving team-based care in basic emergency obstetric clinics: using factor analysis to develop a brief teamwork tool for real-time feedback. J Interprofessional Educ Pract. 2023;32:100633. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xjep.2023.100633
Stalmeijer RE, Varpio L. The wolf you feed: challenging intraprofessional workplace-based education norms. Med Educ. 2021;55(8):894–902. https://doi.org/10.1111/medu.14520
Reeves S, Perrier L, Goldman J, Freeth D, Zwarenstein M. Interprofessional education: effects on professional practice and healthcare outcomes. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013;2013(3):CD002213. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD002213.pub3
Kristina TN, Asmara FY, Afifah DN, Bakri S, Dewi DP, Widyandana D, et al. A model of interprofessional education in the community with family health approach: perspectives from Indonesia. J Keperawatan Soedirman. 2025;20(1):35–42. https://doi.org/10.20884/1.jks.2025.20.1.10479
Brown JB, Mulder C, Clark RE, Belsito L, Thorpe C. It starts with a strong foundation: constructing collaborative interprofessional teams in primary health care. J Interprof Care. 2021;35(4):514–20.
https://doi.org/10.1080/13561820.2020.1787360
MacNaughton K, Chreim S, Bourgeault IL. Role construction and boundaries in interprofessional primary health care teams: a qualitative study. BMC Health Serv Res. 2013;13(486):486. https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6963-13-486
Okpala P. Addressing power dynamics in interprofessional health care teams. Int J Healthc Manag. 2021;14(4):1326–32. https://doi.org/10.1080/20479700.2020.1758894
Tong R, Brewer M, Flavell H, Roberts LD. Professional and interprofessional identities: a scoping review. J Interprof Care. 2025;39(5):848–56. https://doi.org/10.1080/13561820.2020.1713063
Diab P, Flack P. Benefits of community-based education to the community in South African health science facilities. Afr J Prim Health Care Fam Med. 2013;5(1):474. https://doi.org/10.4102/phcfm.v5i1.474
Agustina R, Dartanto T, Sitompul R, Susiloretni KA, Suparmi, Achadi EL, et al. Universal health coverage in Indonesia: concept, progress, and challenges. Lancet. 2019;393(10166):75–102. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(18)31647-7
Alhomayani KM, Bukhary HA, Aljuaid FI, Alotaibi TA, Alqurashi FS, Althobaiti KN, et al. Gender preferences in healthcare: a study of Saudi patients’ physician preferences. Patient Prefer Adherence. 2025;19:295–303. https://doi.org/10.2147/PPA.S494766
Nguyen BT, Streeter LH, Reddy RA, Douglas CR. Gender bias in the medical education of obstetrician‐gynaecologists in the United States: a systematic review. Aust N Z J Obstet Gynaecol. 2022;62(3): 349–57. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajo.13511
Lestari E, Stalmeijer RE, Widyandana D, Scherpbier A. Understanding attitude of health care professional teachers toward interprofessional health care collaboration and education in a Southeast Asian country. J Multidiscip Healthc. 2018;11:557–71. https://doi.org/10.2147/JMDH.S178566
Schapmire TJ, Head BA, Nash WA, Yankeelov PA, Furman CD, Brent Wright R, et al. Overcoming barriers to interprofessional education in gerontology: the interprofessional curriculum for the care of older adults. Adv Med Educ Pract. 2018;9:109–18. https://doi.org/10.2147/AMEP.S149863
Widyandana D, Utomo PS, Setiawan IP, Kurniawati YT, Dandekar S. Comparing paper-based and mobile application for rank-based peer assessment in interprofessional education: before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic. BMC Med Educ. 2024;24(1):1383. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-024-06382-2
Wiliam D. What is assessment for learning? Stud Educ Eval. 2011;37(1):3–14. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.stueduc.2011.03.001
Vargha A, Delaney HD. The Kruskal-Wallis test and stochastic homogeneity. J Educ Behav Stat.1998;23(2):170–92. https://doi.org/10.3102/10769986023002170