Knowledge and attitude change in physician assistant students after an interprofessional geriatric care experience: a...

To examine changes in physician assistant (PA) student attitudes and knowledge about interprofessional education (IPE) after participation in a longitudinal community-based curriculum.

Second-year PA students participated in an interprofessional geriatrics curriculum. Faculty-facilitated IPE teams met three times and assessed one adult patient longitudinally over 8 months. Attitudes of student participants and their nonparticipating peers (comparison group) were assessed pre- and postcurriculum using the validated Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS). Reflections submitted by participants after each session were analyzed thematically.

No significant differences in RIPLS scores were found compared with baseline for either group; participating students had significantly higher baseline scores compared with nonparticipating students. Qualitative analysis of participant reflections revealed two major themes: "roles and scope of practice of other health professions"; and "applicability of team-based care to practice" with a temporal change in theme pattern over one year.

Volunteer student participants had a more positive attitude toward interprofessional learning than nonparticipants. Primary learning occurred about roles of other professions and the value of team-based care. The mixed evaluation methodology allowed examination of attitudes, knowledge, and underlying ("informal" or "hidden") learning.