Preparing graduate students for collaborative practice in chronic care: a mixed-methods evaluation of an interprofessional student-led education module

Interprofessional collaboration has become indispensable in chronic care. Embedding interprofessional education (IPE) in health-related curriculums can prepare students to be fit for practice in this interprofessional field. However, further research is required on the design of IPE to underpin and monitor modules. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a multi-day, student-led interprofessional module in enhancing interprofessional socialization and awareness concerning the benefits of IPC in chronic care among students with differing health-related backgrounds (i.e., Medicine, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Health Care Management and Policy, Nursing and Midwifery, Occupational Therapy, and Health Promotion). We applied a mixed-methods pre- and post-test design, using two questionnaires on awareness and interprofessional socialization and students' reflection reports about the team dynamics and their experiences with the module. Overall, students with various backgrounds showed a significant improvement in interprofessional socialization, which was also represented in the reflection reports. Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences students showed the lowest baseline scores on awareness, but illustrated the most growth towards awareness and interprofessional socialization post-module, especially students with no prior experience in youth movements and health-related work. Nevertheless, lower awareness levels at baseline were predictive for lower levels of interprofessional socialization post-module. These findings imply the importance of building awareness early on in health-related curriculums as a catalyst for change towards interprofessional socialization. IPE should be provided on a continuum, ranging from early-on immersion in undergraduate programmes to graduate and continuing education. In this, student-led modules seem promising. However, possible awareness mismatches between different students and programmes and its effect on learning outcomes should be considered.