Interprofessional Education Experience, Self-Rated Knowledge, and Perceived Interprofessional Collaboration Among Health Professions Faculty and Educators: A Cross-Sectional Mixed-Methods Study in Albania and Italy.
Self-reported prior IPE experience showed a clearer and more consistent association with perceived collaboration than did the single-item measure of self-rated IPE knowledge, whose association was small and less consistent across domains.
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Interprofessional education (IPE) supports collaborative practice, but educational exposure, self-rated knowledge, and collaboration are distinct constructs. We examined the adjusted associations between self-reported prior IPE experience and single-item self-rated IPE knowledge and perceived collaboration among health professions faculty and educators in Albanian and Italian work contexts. Methods: This quantitative-dominant cross-sectional mixed-methods study included 445 faculty members and educators. Collaboration was assessed using language-matched versions of the 23-item Assessment of Interprofessional Team Collaboration Scale II (AITCS-II). Self-rated IPE knowledge was assessed using a single author-developed 0-100 item. Heteroskedasticity-consistent type 3 standard errors in linear regressions examined adjusted associations and exploratory context interactions. Confirmatory factor analysis and reliability analyses examined preliminary evidence of internal structural validity and internal consistency in this sample. Directed qualitative content analysis with inductive expansion examined 341 responses from 114 participants and was integrated into the aggregate results. Results: A total of 47.2% of participants reported prior IPE experience; the mean single-item self-rated IPE knowledge score was 31.7/100, and the mean overall AITCS-II score was 3.95/5. Cooperation was rated highest and Partnership lowest. In the adjusted model (n = 417), self-reported prior IPE experience was associated with a 0.32-point higher overall AITCS-II score (95% CI 0.18-0.47), while each 10-point increase in the single-item knowledge rating was associated with a 0.03-point higher score (95% CI 0.002-0.058). No country-of-work interaction was statistically supported. The response covariance structure was compatible with the hypothesised three-factor model. Qualitative findings emphasised experiential and longitudinal learning and identified professional silos, hierarchies, curricular rigidity, limited resources, and weak organisational coordination as barriers. Conclusions: Self-reported prior IPE experience showed a clearer and more consistent association with perceived collaboration than did the single-item measure of self-rated IPE knowledge, whose association was small and less consistent across domains. Applied, repeated, and contextually embedded IPE, supported by faculty development and organisational structures, may facilitate collaborative practice. Causal and cross-country conclusions are not warranted.
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to: (1) assess how students from eight different educational backgrounds engage in and differ in collaborative practice, (2) examine structural relationships among key domains, including leadership, communication, shared goals, roles understanding, member relationships, conflict management, patient involvement, and (3) explore perceived enablers and challenges in collaborative learning.
METHODS
A sequential explanatory mixed-methods design was used. Quantitative data were collected from 793 vocational students using the 7-factor, 48-item CPAT instrument. Assumptions tested included differences in IPE outcomes and the mediating role of shared goals, with a path analysis conducted to examine these relationships. Qualitative data from three 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.
RESULTS
The CPAT instrument was re-evaluated for contextual suitability, demonstrating good structural validity (CFI =.937, RMSEA =.054, SRMR =.032). Significant differences in IPE outcomes were found by educational background, while Nursing and Pharmacy were the top preferred collaboration partners, but not by program level or prior collaboration. Nursing students scored highest, especially in communication, decision-making, and collaboration, while 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.
CONCLUSION
Discipline-sensitive, community-based IPE strategies, reinforced shared goals, and role clarity are essential to strengthen collaboration among health professions students.
Dwi Sartika, B. D. Ardyansyah, Irfan Idris et al.· American Journal of Pharmace...· 0 citations
BACKGROUND
Cultural competence is important for health professions educators working in diverse educational and healthcare contexts. However, faculty development programs often focus more on instructional techniques than on educators' reflective, communicative, and adaptive capacities for culturally diverse learning environments. This study examined participants' self-perceived development of cultural competence and learning experiences within a two-year international faculty development program.
METHODS
A convergent mixed-methods study was conducted with 52 health professions educators from 30 universities across three countries. The quantitative component used a single-time-point retrospective pre-post self-assessment survey to examine participants' perceived changes in cultural competence. Paired-sample t-tests and Cohen's dz were used to assess statistical significance and effect sizes. The qualitative component included semi-structured interviews with 13 participants, analyzed using thematic analysis. Quantitative and qualitative findings were integrated to examine convergence, complementarity, and discrepancy.
RESULTS
Participants reported statistically significant self-perceived gains in 8 of the 13 measured items. The largest effect was observed for adjustment of cultural understanding, t(51) = - 5.578, p < .001, Cohen's dz = 0.77. A moderate effect was also observed for adjustment of communication strategies, t(51) = - 4.071, p < .001, dz = 0.56. Small-to-moderate effects were observed for cultural self-awareness, knowledge adjustment, social confidence, persistence, and understanding of cultural value frameworks. No statistically significant perceived changes were observed in stress coping, p = .142; immediate cultural sensing, p = .302; or changing behavior to suit different cultural situations, p = .192. Qualitative findings suggested that participants' learning was supported by three interrelated processes: Contextualized Construction, Collaborative Learning, and Dynamic Co-Creation. These processes informed the CoLearn Framework and a developmental pathway from Awareness to Understanding and, for some participants, toward aspects of Adaptation.
CONCLUSIONS
The program was associated with participants' self-perceived gains in selected dimensions of cultural competence, particularly cultural understanding and communication strategy adjustment. The CoLearn Framework offers an explanatory model for designing reflective, relational, and situated faculty development. More complex dimensions, including stress coping and stable behavioral adaptation, may require immersive practice, institutional support, and longer-term follow-up.
Sisi Li, Xunchen Liao, Xi Chen et al.· BMC Medical Education· 0 citations
Nursing curricula should integrate practice-centered and research-engaged strategies to support sustained EBP development across the academic–clinical transition, with future longitudinal and objectively measured studies needed to confirm developmental claims.
F. Mersal, M. Baqeas, Abdulhamid Gharib Alrwili et al.· Frontiers in Medicine· 0 citations
It was revealed that health professional learners’ readiness for IPE had high perception mean scores in all RIPLS subscales, and only “roles and responsibilities” subscale showed a significant change after intervention.
S. Kandasamy, E. Devi, P. G. Kumar et al.· Current Medical Issues· 0 citations
The potential benefits of the IPE Model 1—Introduction extend beyond OT and PT, suggesting its efficacy in improving IPE competencies for students in other disciplines.
N. Belleza, M. E. Johnson, Mohan Ganesan· Rehabilitation Research Poli...· 0 citations
Background Family Medicine and Primary Health Care anchor effective health systems, yet undergraduate curricula have given them limited dedicated space. The COM353 Family Medicine and Primary Care block at Alfaisal University was created to give these areas more dedicated curricular space, combining didactic teaching, Primary Health Care Center (PHCC) visits, structured reflection, and explicit engagement with clinical uncertainty. Methods We conducted a single-institution, cross-sectional quantitative evaluation of third-year medical students who completed the block in January 2026. A 42-item Likert instrument, adapted from the Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) and the Groningen Reflection Ability Scale (GRAS) with block-specific items, captured perceptions across seven domains. Of 126 enrolled students, 96 responded (76.2%). Analyses included descriptive statistics, internal-consistency reliability, inter-domain correlations, and multiple linear regression. Reporting follows the STROBE guideline. Results Domain means ranged from 3.90 to 4.27 (of 5), with all domains exceeding the scale midpoint by large margins (Cohen’s d, 0.92 to 1.58). Agreement rates ran from 63.7 to 80.7%. Internal consistency was excellent (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.988 overall; 0.940 to 0.974 across domains). Family Medicine and PHC Competencies achieved the highest mean (4.27) and reflective practice the lowest (3.90). On a single global rating, 87.5% of students rated the block positively (mean 3.80, SD 1.13). Multiple regression with six domains predicting perceived block value explained 78.2% of variance; F(6, 89) = 53.25, p < 0.001. Three domains independently predicted overall evaluation: Systems Thinking (beta = 0.727, p < 0.001), Reflection (beta = 0.295, p = 0.002), and Learning Environment (beta = 0.293, p = 0.013). Despite producing the highest absolute scores, Family Medicine Competencies did not independently predict overall evaluation, likely reflecting shared variance with Systems Thinking (r = 0.874). Conclusion A purposefully integrated Family Medicine block joining community-based experience, reflective practice, and explicit work with uncertainty appears to produce favorable educational outcomes across multiple domains. Of these, perceiving healthcare as an interconnected system most strongly predicted students’ overall evaluation, suggesting that systems thinking acts as the integrative thread giving other curricular elements coherence.
Abdul Rehman Zia Zaidi, Baraa Alghalyini, R. Khaled et al.· Frontiers in Medicine· 0 citations
A new method for surgically removing training examples from a model reveals that as datasets grow, the link between what a model learns and what it produces dissolves.
