The Differences in Perceptions of Interprofessional Education Among Health Profession Students: The Indonesian Experience

Shaping tomorrow's dentists: a multi-institutional survey of undergraduate dental students' perceptions towards interprofessional education

BACKGROUND

Interprofessional education (IPE) is essential to foster collaboration among healthcare professionals for holistic patient care. However, Malaysian dental education remains discipline-centric, hindering multidisciplinary learning approaches. Hence, this study aimed to explore Malaysian undergraduate dental students' perceptions of IPE.

METHODS

The present cross-sectional study employed convenience sampling to survey undergraduate dental students from four Malaysian institutions using a modified questionnaire with 20 close-ended and 2 open-ended questions. The questionnaire covered three domains (effectiveness, preference, importance) to assess students' perceptions using a five-point Likert scale. Psychometric validation was performed to assure validity and reliability of the modified questionnaire. Quantitative analysis (descriptive and inferential statistics), and qualitative analysis (content analysis) were subsequently performed.

RESULTS

397 students responded, and positive perceptions were generally noted with mean scores ranging from 4.13 to 4.35 across all domains. Questions 2 and 3, assessing the improvement in understanding the roles and responsibilities, and communication among healthcare professionals, received the highest mean scores. Meanwhile, Question 15 concerning the incorporation of IPE into educational goals received the lowest mean score. Regression analysis identified gender and clinical phase as significant factors, with females and preclinical students exhibiting more favourable perceptions. Motivators for IPE included a keen interest in diverse perspectives and recognising the importance of teamwork, while barriers encompassed tightly packed schedules, lack of understanding about IPE, misconceptions regarding dental education, and students' nervousness and fear of participation.

CONCLUSION

This study produced a valid and reliable instrument to measure undergraduate dental students' perceptions towards IPE. Strategic planning, such as overcoming logistical challenges, improving awareness, and creating a supportive learning environment are crucial for successful IPE integration into existing curricula, especially in resource-constrained developing countries like Malaysia.

Are we ready to collaborate? The interprofessional collaborative competencies of healthcare professionals in the Global South context

Background

Current evidence of interprofessional collaboration suggests the importance of measuring and identifying the current state of the health professions’ interprofessional competencies. Therefore, this study was aimed at measuring the interprofessional competencies of health professionals in the Global South context using the validated CICS29.

Materials and methods

This was a cross-sectional study involving 300 healthcare professionals of a newly established teaching hospital. Prior to the measurement of interprofessional competencies, the 29-items CICS29, which has been translated into Indonesian language, was revalidated using a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The 29 items of CICS29 were grouped into six subscales and each item was measured using a 5-point Likert scale. Data on gender, age, type of profession, and the length of working experience was also collected to identify whether discernible differences between grouping variables exists.

Results

Prior to measuring the interprofessional competencies, the validity of the instrument was established. Based on the CFA, the same six-factor model was found in the current study. The Indonesian CICS29 was reliable, with Cronbach alpha values of 0.921 for the whole instrument and that of each subscale ranged between 0.656 and 0.726. The mean total score of CICS29 was 128.53 (out of 145), ranged from 123 to 133.40 obtained by pharmacists and dentists respectively. No significant differences of CICS29 scores were found between grouping variables.

Conclusion

The current study has revealed relatively good interprofessional competencies of healthcare professionals working in a newly established teaching hospital in the Global South healthcare context. Measuring the interprofessional competencies serves as baseline for further intervention to nurture and maintain collaborative practice. In addition, the current study has further proven the cross-cultural validity of CICS29, thus appropriate to be utilized in different setting and context.

Impact of interprofessional education on the teaching and learning of higher education students: A systematic review

AIM

This systematic review was to explore the potentialities and limitations of Interprofessional Education (IPE), from the perspective of undergraduate students.

BACKGROUND

The increasing complexity in health increasingly demand professionals with the capacity to act in the face of new global challenges. Thus, this pedagogical approach presents itself as one of the most promising choices in facing these new obstacles.

DESIGN

A synthesis of quantitative studies and mixed methods.

METHODS

Studies involving quantitative analyzes were included, with no restriction on the date of publication and language. The search strategy was carried out in the electronic databases: PubMed, Latin American and Caribbean Literature in Health Sciences (LILACS), Cochrane Library and Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO). In addition, searches were carried out in gray literature on the ERIC platforms (ProQuest), ProQuest Disserts and Theses Full text and Academic Google. The assessment of the quality of the studies was carried out using the instrument by Downs and Black. The risks of bias in the studies were examined with the aid of the adapted version of the Cochrane Collaboration tool, with the domains of the Downs and Black instrument.

RESULTS

After standardized filter procedures, critical summaries and assessment of relevance to the eligibility criteria, 11 articles were included. The results showed that most students have a positive perception of IPE, with different factors influencing this research finding. The need to develop more robust assessment instruments is highlighted, in view of the insufficiency of tools with sufficient methodological rigor to measure real changes in attitudes among different groups of students.

CONCLUSION

More consistent research is needed, which assesses, in a longitudinal way, the effects that the IPE has on the teaching and learning of undergraduate students and its impact after professional training.

Primary health care policy and vision for community pharmacy and pharmacists in Indonesia

The practice of community pharmacy in low and middle-income countries, including in Indonesia, is often described as in the state of infancy with several intractable barriers that have been substantially and continuously hampering the practice. Such description might be valid in highlighting how pharmacy is practiced and the conditions within and beyond community pharmacy organizations. Therefore, it is not surprising that the concept of integrating community pharmacy into the primary care system may not be considered in the contemporary discourse despite the fact that community pharmacy has been operating within communities for years. However, in the case of Indonesia, we argue that changes in the health care system within the past decade particularly with the introduction of the universal health coverage (UHC) in 2014, may have significantly amplified the role of pharmacists. There is good evidence which highlights the contribution of pharmacist as a substantial health care element in primary care practice. The initiative for employing pharmacist, identified in this article as primary care pharmacist, in the setting of community health center [puskesmas] and the introduction of affiliated or contracted community pharmacy under the UHC have enabled pharmacist to work together with other primary care providers. Moreover, government agenda under the “Smart Use of Medicines” program [Gema Cermat] recognizes pharmacists as the agent of change for improving the rational use of medicines in the community. Community pharmacy is developing, albeit slowly, and is able to grasp a novel position to deliver pharmacy-related primary care services to the general public through new services, for example drug monitoring and home care. Nevertheless, integrating community pharmacy into primary care is relatively a new notion in the Indonesian setting, and is a challenging process given the presence of barriers in the macro, meso- and micro-level of practice.