Physiotherapy Students’ Perceptions toward Interprofessional Learning during COVID-19

Abstract

Introduction: Interprofessional education (IPE) aims to improve students’ communication and collaboration skills by providing them with opportunities to learn with other disciplines. This collaborative approach to patient care is mandatory training for healthcare professionals in Canada. Due to the pandemic, online or hybrid teaching formats were introduced to most students in the Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS) at McMaster University, including those in the physiotherapy (PT) program. These untraditional learning conditions presented numerous challenges, and it is unclear if they have affected students’ readiness for IPE throughout the program (2020-2022). Therefore, the objective of this study is to explore the changes in PT students’ IPE readiness during the pandemic, from program entry to completion. Method: This is a secondary analysis of a larger program evaluation that invited students across the FHS to complete the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) at program entry and completion. The RIPLS responses from the PT program students at program entry and completion were extracted. Descriptive statistics were calculated and changes in RIPLS subscale and total scores were analyzed using Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Effect size was determined using Somers’ D (D). All data were analyzed in STATA 17.0 B/E and p-values <0.05 were deemed statistically significant. Results: Out of the 67 PT students invited to participate, 37 (55%; 25 females; mean age 24.4±0.9 years old) completed RIPLS at program entry and completion. Across the study period, three of the four RIPLS subscales showed significant positive changes to their median scores: Teamwork and Collaboration (34 to 39; p<0.001, D= 0.74); Positive Professional Identity (12 to 16; p<0.001, D=0.66), and Roles and Responsibilities (12 to 13; p=0.03, D=0.11). The RIPLS Total score positively changed from 71 to 81 (p<0.002, D=0.55). Conclusions: There were positive changes to RIPLS scores at program completion, with greater effects seen in the Teamwork and Collaboration, and Positive Professional Identity subscale scores. Their overall RIPLS scores improved and show meaningful IPE growth throughout this untraditional period in education. Future studies need to evaluate and compare these findings to the changes in students’ IPE readiness in the years before and after the pandemic in PT and other health professional programs.