A Longitudinal Study of Interprofessional Education in Graduate Students from Rehabilitation Sciences

Francesca Julia Hernandez, University of Texas at El Paso

Abstract

Background: The importance of interprofessional collaboration (IPC) and interprofessional education (IPE) have been well recognized in the healthcare field and health professions programs. However, the long-term benefits of IPE experiences for students from various health professions has not been well investigated.Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the long-term effectiveness of IPE experiences on rehabilitation sciences graduate students’ interprofessional knowledge and perceptions of other disciplines’ roles and responsibilities across time.Methods: A group of seventy-one students from occupational therapy (OT), physical therapy (PT), and speech-language pathology (SLP) graduate programs at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) were recruited to participate in this study. Participants’ knowledge of interprofessional practice and perceptions of other disciplines’ roles and responsibilities were measured across participants’ first year of graduate school using a pre-survey and two-post surveys. The surveys included demographic questions, questions from the Interprofessional Attitudes Scales (IPAS), and an open-ended case-study question.Results: Participants’ IPAS scores and responses on the open-ended case-study question revealed statistically significant differences across time, which suggests that participants’ knowledge and perceptions increased as a result of participation in IPE experiences.

Subject Area

Speech therapy|Public Health Education|Higher education|Educational sociology

Recommended Citation

Hernandez, Francesca Julia, "A Longitudinal Study of Interprofessional Education in Graduate Students from Rehabilitation Sciences" (2021). ETD Collection for University of Texas, El Paso. AAI28649792.
https://scholarworks.utep.edu/dissertations/AAI28649792

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