Extending conceptual understanding: How interprofessional education influences affective domain development

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Education
• Interprofessional Collaboration
• Affective Domain Development

Background:

• Interprofessional learning (IPL) is recognized for its potential to shape students' affective domains, including attitudes, values, and behaviors.
• Existing quantitative research provides limited insight into the mechanisms through which IPL programs achieve these developmental changes.
• A need exists to understand the specific conditions under which IPL is most effective for different individuals and contexts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of an IPL program on students' attitudes and values.
• To identify behavioral changes in clinical practice resulting from interprofessional working.
• To test a conceptual framework explaining the effectiveness of IPL for specific outcomes, individuals, and circumstances.

Main Methods:

• An action research approach was employed to deliver a 6-week IPL program to 63 students from nursing, radiography, physiotherapy, social work, and podiatry.
• Semi-structured focus groups with 37 participants were used to gather qualitative data on personal experiences with IPL activities.
• Analysis focused on the relationship between activity type, impact on the affective domain (attitude, value, behavior), and self-reported application to practice.

Main Results:

• Modification in affective domain development reached the identification or internalization stage for 30 students.
• Self-reported outcomes included direct impacts on patient care, enhanced personal resilience, improved communication, and increased confidence in challenging practice.
• A conceptual framework was developed, identifying key elements for effective IPL.

Conclusions:

• IPL activities incorporating personal reward, delivered over approximately four weeks, and focusing on self-assessment, team building, and reflection can foster sustained changes in values, attitudes, and behaviors.
• The developed conceptual framework offers insights into optimizing IPL for specific student groups and settings.
• Effective IPL design should consider duration, content, and motivational elements to achieve desired interprofessional competencies.