An e-resource to coordinate research activity with the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS)

Area of Science:

• Health Professions Education
• Interprofessional Learning Research
• Quantitative Research Methods

Background:

• Interprofessional education (IPE) research is often conducted by practitioners alongside primary duties.
• Limited support structures can hinder the quality and efficiency of IPE research.
• A need exists for dedicated resources to facilitate collaborative IPE research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish a virtual community for researchers focused on quantitative interprofessional learning studies.
• To develop and implement an e-resource to support IPE research efforts.
• To assess the utility and adoption of the virtual community and e-resource.

Main Methods:

• Development of a web-based e-resource providing access to research materials and communication tools.
• Recruitment of 48 researchers from six countries interested in quantitative IPE research.
• Monitoring resource utilization over 14 months and post-study evaluation via self-report questionnaires.

Main Results:

• The virtual community and e-resource were utilized by 85% of surveyed respondents (23/27).
• A significant majority (95%) of respondents expressed intent to continue using the resource.
• The platform facilitated resource access, research coordination, and inter-researcher communication.

Conclusions:

• A virtual community and e-resource can effectively support and enhance interprofessional education research.
• The developed platform demonstrated high user engagement and positive reception among international researchers.
• This model offers a scalable solution for fostering collaborative research in health professions education.