Interprofessional Education: Friend or Foe The Students' Perspective

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Interprofessional Education Friend or Foe? The
Students' Perspective
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The Students

• Kathleen R. Arnold. Student Physiotherapist
• Jane I. R. Brooks. Student Radiographer
• Gemma M. Clark. Student Podiatrist
• Catherine L. Nicholls. Student Physiotherapist
• Stephanie Nuttall. Student Occupational Therapist
  
• Sophia J. Rabin. Student Radiographer
• Lisanne Whalen. Student Occupational Therapist

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The Aim of this Presentation

• Describe the student experience of an IPE
  programme
• Strengths challenges faced by students
• Perceived impact of IPE by students - through
  small scale pilot study
• The future of IPE

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Aims of the Allied Health Course

• To produce qualified therapists with
• inter-professional skills, a broad knowledge
  base and an holistic approach to patient care
  through
• - interdisciplinary learning
• - generic placements

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Course structure

• The Allied Health Degree course encompasses
  academic, practical and applied components,
  delivered in such a way that it promotes
  interprofessionalism between four different
  disciplines
• Diagnostic Radiography
• Occupational Therapy
• Physiotherapy
• Podiatry
• Who share and learn together

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Course structure

• Duration - 3½ years
• 2 years Foundation Degree in Allied Health
• 6 months bridging period in chosen profession
• Final year alongside traditional BSc course
  students leading to a BSc (Hons) award in chosen
  profession.

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Course structure

• Teaching methods
• - Hybrid PBL
• Fixed resources
• Tutorials
• Skills Labs
• Work-based practice

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The Students Perspective Methodology

• We were aiming to describe the students
  perspective of their IPE experience
• We gathered our information via a questionnaire
• It comprised of a set of qualitative questions
  and quantitative questions
• The questionnaire was distributed via email to
  all cohorts currently studying at university

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The Students Perspective The Results
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The Results Question 1
An Interprofessional Education will give me an
advantage as an Allied Healthcare Professional.
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Other Allied Healthcare professional courses
should have a greater emphasis on
Interprofessional Education
The Results Question 2
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I would recommend this course to others
The Results Question 3
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The Results - Common Themes Benefits
Attitudes
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The Benefits

• Better communication
• Ability to relate better when faced with
  different situations
• Positive feedback from other professions
• Better knowledge of own other professions

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The Attitudes of Other Health Professionals

• Negative feedback
• Initially
• Inferior to the BSc courses
• Positive feedback given
• once other professions gain a better
  understanding of the course

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Additional Comments

• Perhaps too much emphasis on Occupational
  Therapy, Physiotherapy Podiatry, and not enough
  on Radiography
• IPE will improve the relationship between
  professions
• Health professionals need further education about
  the benefits of IPE and the course structure
• Influenced choice of which specialist area to
  work in

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The Strengths

• Encourages collaborative working
• Allows different professions to understand and
  have a greater knowledge of other professions
• Encourages teamwork
• Encourages respect for other professions

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The Challenges

• Are we at a disadvantage compared to the
  full-time BSc degree students?
• Changing attitudes of health professionals and
  some teaching staff
• Can neglect some of the areas of study
• Rivalry between students on different courses

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The Future

• Greater emphasis of IPE on the BSc programmes
• To be a part of CPD for health professionals
• The NHS Plan highlights the need for
  collaboration between health and social care
  professionals to promote interprofessional
  working. It aims to value and support staff to
  ensure that there are sufficient resources for
  the modernisation agenda (DoH., 2000 6.14-17).

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Summary

• Poor response to questionnaires
• Health professionals had limited knowledge
• Overall positive experience
• Positive impact on future practice and service
  delivery

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Acknowledgements

• Students currently on the Allied Health Programme
  for their participation in our study
• Jane Sutton for collecting and removing
  identifiable information from the students
  answers
• Rachel Martin for her support, not only with this
  presentation but throughout the whole duration of
  the course
• Finally, all the staff who have taught on the
  Allied Health programme, without their time and
  commitment to us we would be not here talking to
  you today.

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References

• Barr, H. (2002) Interprofessional Education
  Today, Yesterday and Tomorrow. London LTSN HSP.
  http//www.health.heacademy.ac.uk/publications/occ
  asionalpaper/occp1 (accessed 08 February 2008)
• Department of Health. (2000). The NHS Plan A
  Plan for Investment, a Plan for Reform. London
  Stationery Office.
• Zwarenstein, M. Reeves, S. Barr, H. Hammick, M.
  Koppel, I. and Atkins, J. (2007)
  Interprofessional education effects on
  professional practice and health care outcomes.
  Oxford The Cochrane Library.

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Questions ?