Interdisciplinary Educational Initiatives for Health and Care Undergraduate Students—A Scoping Review

INTRODUCTION: Interdisciplinary education brings together students from two or more academic disciplines to learn with, from and about each other, supporting the development of integrated approaches to complex healthcare problems. Despite increasing interest in interdisciplinary learning, the scope and impact of existing initiatives for undergraduate health and care students remain unclear. This scoping review aimed to map current interdisciplinary educational initiatives delivered in real-world settings and to explore their impacts on students, educators and patients. METHODS: A scoping review was conducted following Arksey and O'Malley's framework and reported in line with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Review (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. Studies described longitudinal, real-world, interdisciplinary initiatives involving undergraduate health or care students. Data were extracted and synthesised using descriptive qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: Fifteen studies were included, representing a range of disciplines and settings, including student-run clinics, hospice placements, underserved community placements, outpatient clinical services and longitudinal patient-partnered models. Students reported increased confidence in communication, collaborative decision-making and understanding of disciplinary roles, alongside enriched professional identity, empathy and reflective capacity. Several studies demonstrated improvements in clinical skills and readiness for practice, and some reported positive effects on career intentions towards underserved areas. Educators described strengthened interdisciplinary collaboration but noted increased coordination demands. Nine studies reported patient impacts, including enhanced access to services, early identification of health needs and valued continuity. CONCLUSIONS: Interdisciplinary educational initiatives can meaningfully enhance students' preparedness for collaborative practice and support integrated models of care. Further research should explore long-term outcomes, delivery in underserved areas and how best to support educators in implementing these initiatives.