Has Interprofessional Education Changed Learning Preferences? A National Perspective.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education Research
• Healthcare Professional Training
• Interprofessional Education

Background:

• Medical education reforms aim to enhance interprofessional team and patient-centered care.
• Understanding how trainees perceive and value these aspects is crucial for effective healthcare delivery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of curriculum, accreditation, and competency changes on medical trainees' valuation of interprofessional and patient-centered care.
• To compare physician trainees' perceptions with those of nonphysician trainees.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of the Department of Veterans Affairs Learners' Perceptions Survey (2003-2013) data.
• Inclusion of 56,569 U.S. medical students and physician residents, and 78,038 nonphysician trainees.
• Scoring value preferences based on associations between care elements and learning environment domains.

Main Results:

• Physician trainees reported lower value for interprofessional (14% vs. 37%) and patient-centered learning (21% vs. 36%) compared to nonphysician trainees.
• Physician preferences for interprofessional learning showed a modest annual increase (2.5%), primarily in internal medicine and surgery.
• Trainee preferences did not correlate with academic progression.

Conclusions:

• Physician trainees continue to undervalue interprofessional and patient-centered care relative to nonphysician trainees.
• Despite educational shifts, a gap persists in physician trainees' appreciation for collaborative and patient-focused experiences.
• Further interventions may be needed to fully integrate these values into physician training.