Medical students' interprofessional placements in primary care: exploring supervisor perceptions and motivation using...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Interprofessional Practice
• Primary Care

Background:

• Increasing demand for interprofessional education (IPE) in medical curricula.
• Primary care settings are emerging as a novel environment for IPE.
• Traditional medical placements often lack interprofessional learning opportunities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the experiences of interprofessional supervisors in primary care.
• To identify motivating factors for supervisor recruitment and retention in IPE programs.
• To understand how primary care can support sustainable practice-based interprofessional learning.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study employing semi-structured interviews with 21 primary care supervisors.
• Reflexive thematic analysis to identify key themes.
• Self-determination theory (SDT) used as a theoretical framework.

Main Results:

• Identified key themes influencing motivation: placement affordances/challenges, competency development, and bridging primary care gaps.
• SDT framework provided insight into supervisor perceptions and engagement.
• Supervisor autonomy, faculty development, and university relatedness are crucial.

Conclusions:

• Primary care is a viable setting for interprofessional education.
• Addressing supervisor needs for autonomy, development, and connection fosters sustainable partnerships.
• Effective IPE in primary care can enhance collaborative practice skills.