How Do Classroom-Based Interprofessional Education Interactions Influence Medical Students' Clerkship Experiences?

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Interprofessional Education
• Healthcare Professional Training

Background:

• Classroom-based interprofessional education (IPE) enhances understanding of IPE competencies.
• Limited data exists on the translation of these skills to clinical settings.
• This study evaluated an IPE session's effect on medical students' interactions during pediatric clerkships.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the influence of a virtual, classroom-based interprofessional education (IPE) session on medical students' collaboration with other healthcare professionals.
• To determine if IPE competencies gained in a simulated environment translate to improved interprofessional interactions in a clinical setting.

Main Methods:

• Medical, nursing, and pharmacy students participated in a virtual, hour-long IPE activity focusing on a hypothetical neonatal case.
• Students completed pre- and post-session self-assessments analyzed via Wilcoxon signed-rank test.
• Qualitative analysis of focused interviews explored the impact on clinical experiences.

Main Results:

• Medical students reported significant improvements in interprofessional education (IPE) competencies post-session.
• However, interviews indicated less than one-third of students applied IPE skills in their clerkship.
• Lack of autonomy and confidence were cited as barriers to applying IPE skills clinically.

Conclusions:

• The impact of the classroom-based IPE session on medical students' interprofessional collaboration in the clinical environment was minimal.
• Classroom-based IPE alone has limited effectiveness in fostering clinical interprofessional collaboration.
• There is a need for intentional, clinically integrated IPE activities to improve real-world collaboration.