Interprofessional education in primary health care for entry level students--A systematic literature review

This systematic review investigated student learning and patient outcomes associated with interprofessional education in outpatient, primary care clinics.

Medline, Cinahl and Embase databases were searched to March 2014. A mixed method evaluation framework was applied to investigate the participants, interventions and effects on student learning and patient outcomes.

26 studies met the inclusion criteria; 13 were quantitative, predominately pre-post-survey design, 6 qualitative and 7 mixed methods design. Studies most commonly investigated student volunteers from medicine, nursing and allied health working in interprofessional clinics that were established to address gaps in community health care. Students appeared to learn teamwork skills and increase their knowledge of the roles of other disciplines. We found no convincing evidence that participation results in changes in attitudes towards other disciplines compared to single discipline education. We also found insufficient evidence to estimate the effectiveness of patient care delivered by interprofessional student teams in this setting compared to single discipline or no care.

Given the logistical challenges associated with coordinating clinic attendance for interprofessional teams, high quality studies are needed to assess the effects of clinics on student learning and patient health outcomes.