Trends and changes in interprofessional education readiness and perceptions across the Faculty of Health Sciences at McMaster University over 6 years: A cross-sectional analysis

Background Interprofessional education (IPE) prepares pre-licensure health sciences students to deliver team-based, patient-centered care, but its effectiveness depends on students' readiness to engage. In 2019, the Program for Interprofessional Practice, Education and Research at McMaster University, launched a quality improvement initiative to assess health sciences students' IPE readiness. This study characterized students’ IPE readiness at program entry from 2019 to 2024, spanning a novel transition from in-person (pre-COVID) to online (during COVID) and hybrid (post-COVID) delivery formats. Methods This repeated cross-sectional study invited incoming first-year health sciences students to complete a voluntary survey, including demographic questions and the Likert-version Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS). Descriptive statistics characterized the sample. Total and subscale RIPLS scores were compared across program specializations, disciplines and time periods using Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests. Analyses were conducted using STATA 18.0 B/E, with p < .05 considered statistically significant. Results Two thousand fifty-six students completed at least one RIPLS subscale between 2019 and 2024. Respondents had a mean (SD) age of 22.1 (4.4) years and were mainly women-identifying ( n = 1494, 72.7%). Graduate Professional students demonstrated a high IPE readiness compared to Undergraduate General ( p < .001) and Undergraduate Professional students ( p < .001). Students from Social Work, Midwifery, Nursing and Bachelor of Health Sciences reported lower RIPLS scores compared to the other disciplines (all p < .05). Total RIPLS scores were lowest during COVID compared to the pre- and post-COVID periods (all p < .001). Conclusions This study provides insights into IPE perceptions across six years. These findings can inform IPE programs in refining their IPE offerings to better align students’ learning needs.