Maharajan Mari Kannan, Rajiah Kingston, Khoo Suan Phaik, Chellappan Dinesh Kumar, De Alwis Ranjit, Chui Hui Cing, Tan Lui Lee, Tan Yee Ning, Lau Shin Yee
Department of Pharmacy Practice, School of Pharmacy, International Medical University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Division of Oral Diagnostic Sciences, School of Dentistry, International Medical University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
PLoS One. 2017 Jan 6;12(1):e0168863. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0168863. eCollection 2017.
To evaluate the attitudes and readiness of students of healthcare professions towards interprofessional learning.
A cross-sectional study design was used. Two different scales were used to measure the readiness for and perception of interprofessional learning; these were the 'Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale' and the 'Interdisciplinary Education Perception Scale'. A convenience sampling method was employed. The sample was drawn from undergraduate students enrolled in years 1 to 5 of medical, dental, pharmacy and health sciences programme. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the data.
The overall response rate was 83%. The students mentioned that shared learning with other healthcare professional students will increase their ability to understand clinical problems. The students also mentioned that such shared learning will help them to communicate better with patients and other professionals. The students preferred to work with individuals from their own profession. Participants from medical, dental, pharmacy, and health sciences had a difference in opinion about 'negative professional identity', a domain of the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale. Based on the different year of study of the students, 'team work and collaboration', 'negative professional identity' and 'roles and responsibility' were the Interdisciplinary Education Perception Scale domains where students had a difference in opinion.
Attitudes and readiness towards interprofessional learning showed significant differences among students of various healthcare professions; these differences also depended on the students' year of study. Interprofessional learning should be incorporated in the curriculum of all healthcare professional programs, which may foster students to become competent healthcare providers and understand each profession's role.
评估医疗保健专业学生对跨专业学习的态度和准备情况。
采用横断面研究设计。使用两种不同的量表来衡量跨专业学习的准备情况和认知；即“跨专业学习准备度量表”和“跨学科教育认知量表”。采用便利抽样方法。样本取自医学、牙科、药学和健康科学专业1至5年级的本科生。使用描述性和推断性统计分析数据。
总体回复率为83%。学生们提到，与其他医疗保健专业学生共同学习将提高他们理解临床问题的能力。学生们还提到，这种共同学习将帮助他们更好地与患者和其他专业人员沟通。学生们更喜欢与同专业的人合作。医学、牙科、药学和健康科学专业的参与者在“跨专业学习准备度量表”的一个领域“负面职业认同”上存在意见分歧。根据学生的不同学习年份，“团队合作与协作”、“负面职业认同”和“角色与责任”是跨学科教育认知量表中学生存在意见分歧的领域。
不同医疗保健专业的学生对跨专业学习的态度和准备情况存在显著差异；这些差异也取决于学生的学习年份。跨专业学习应纳入所有医疗保健专业课程，这可能会促使学生成为称职的医疗保健提供者，并理解每个专业的角色。
