Interprofessional Communication Skills Education in Undergraduate Medical Education: (A Scoping Review)

Abstract

Effective interprofessional communication (IPC) is a core competency for safe, collaborative patient care, yet its structured teaching within undergraduate medical curricula remains highly variable across institutions and countries. This scoping review maps the pedagogical models, assessment approaches, and implementation barriers reported in the literature on IPC skills education for undergraduate medical students. Following the Arksey and O'Malley (2005) framework and reported in accordance with the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR; Tricco et al., 2018), a search strategy was developed for Google Scholar, combining terms for “interprofessional communication,” “interprofessional education,” and “undergraduate medical education.” Eligible sources described educational interventions, curricular models, or evaluation approaches for IPC skills involving undergraduate medical students, published in English between 2015 and 2026.  The literature converges on four themes: (1) competency frameworks (IPEC, WHO) that anchor curriculum design; (2) diverse pedagogical modalities, ranging from structured communication tools and interprofessional ward rounds or bedside teaching to simulation center activities and emerging technology enhanced formats; (3) a fragmented assessment landscape combining attitudinal, self reported, and observed performance instruments; and (4) recurring implementation barriers, curricular misalignment, scheduling conflicts, and limited faculty preparedness, alongside facilitators such as institutional commitment and early, longitudinal curricular integration.