Interprofessional education program for medical and nursing students: interprofessional versus uniprofessional

PURPOSE: This study determined the effects of interprofessional education (IPE) on self-efficacy and attitude by comparing an interprofessional (IP) group of medical students (MSs) and nursing students (NSs) and a uniprofessional (UP) group of MSs. METHODS: An experimental IP group consisting of 49 MSs and 62 NSs was selected, alongside a UP control group of 48 other MSs. The groups participated in a class titled “Team Communication and Interprofessional Collaboration.” A sub-analysis of the two groups’ professions was also conducted. The groups participated in the same lesson separately, with a week’s interval. The Interprofessional Attitudes Scale (IPAS) and the Self-Efficacy Perception for Interprofessional Experiential Learning (SEIEL) scale were used before and after the class to compare changes in reports of self-efficacy and attitudes in both groups. Students’ responses to learning experiences and satisfaction were also evaluated. RESULTS: IPAS and SEIEL values increased after the class for MSs in both groups; there were no differences between the groups. IPAS and SEIEL values increased after the class in MSs and NSs in the IP group, and the effect size for IPAS was larger for IP-group NSs than for IP-group MSs. Satisfaction scores exceeded 3.70 in both groups. CONCLUSION: The UP group showed similar IPE effects as the IP group, as measured by SEIEL and IPAS, in a single IPE program that used role-play and case-based discussion. However, it would be desirable for the UP group to interact with other professions to improve understanding and experience.