Vocational Health Students Shaping Interprofessional Practice: A Mixed-Methods Study in Community-Based Education

This study aimed to assess how students from 8 different educational backgrounds engage in and differ in collaborative practice; examine structural relationships among key domains, including leadership, communication, shared goals, roles understanding, member relationships, conflict management, and patient involvement; and explore perceived enablers and challenges in collaborative learning.

A sequential explanatory mixed-methods design was used. Quantitative data were collected from 793 vocational students using the 7-factor, 48-item Collaborative Practice Assessment Tool instrument. Assumptions tested included differences in interprofessional education (IPE) outcomes and the mediating role of shared goals, with a path analysis conducted to examine these relationships. Qualitative data from 3 open-ended questions were analyzed using content analysis to explore students' collaborative experiences. Ethical approval was obtained from the Faculty of Medicine of Hasanuddin University.

The Collaborative Practice Assessment Tool instrument was re-evaluated for contextual suitability, demonstrating good structural validity (comparative fit index = 0.937, root mean square error of approximation = 0.054, standardized root mean square residual = 0.032). Significant differences in IPE outcomes were found by educational background, whereas nursing and pharmacy were the top preferred collaboration partners but not by program level or previous collaboration. Nursing students scored the highest, especially in communication, decision-making, and collaboration, whereas environmental health students scored the lowest. Mediation analysis showed that shared goals and roles significantly mediated the effects of leadership and communication. Qualitative findings emphasized the impact of clinical exposure and structured learning, highlighting the need for clear roles, conflict management training, and community-based IPE.

Discipline-sensitive, community-based IPE strategies, reinforced shared goals, and role clarity are essential to strengthen collaboration among health professions students.