How does interprofessional education affect attitudes towards interprofessional collaboration? A rapid realist...

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Education
• Professional Development
• Interprofessional Practice

Background:

• Interprofessional collaboration (IPC) enhances healthcare quality and reduces costs.
• Interprofessional education (IPE) is crucial for developing IPC skills and positive attitudes.
• Understanding attitude formation in IPE is vital for effective IPC.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify effective interprofessional education (IPE) strategies for fostering positive attitudes toward interprofessional collaboration (IPC).
• To explore the specific contexts, mechanisms, and student groups that promote positive IPC attitudes.
• To inform the design of IPE programs that cultivate essential collaboration skills.

Main Methods:

• A realist synthesis approach was employed to analyze existing literature.
• Causal mechanisms and conducive contexts for positive attitude development were extracted.
• Context-mechanism-outcome configurations were identified to explain attitude formation.

Main Results:

• Positive IPC attitudes are linked to IPE providing time/space for formal/informal interactions, fostering trust and respect.
• IPE perceived as career-relevant and confidence-boosting promotes positive attitudes.
• Key mechanisms include professional/personal acquaintance, positive affect, and mutual dependence during IPE.

Conclusions:

• IPE environments that facilitate interaction and mutual understanding are effective in developing positive IPC attitudes.
• Sustained positive attitudes require organizational support for IPC and ongoing professional engagement with IPE.
• Integrating IPC values into learners' systems is facilitated by reinforcement and ongoing exposure.