Qualitative and quantitative evaluation of an interprofessional workshop between physical therapy and medical students

ABSTRACT

Interprofessional education (IPE) is an important component of medical education, preparing students for the collaboration necessary for high-quality patient care. This study aimed to compare IPE readiness in pre-qualification physical therapy (PT) and medical (MD) students before and after an interprofessional workshop and identify factors influencing the workshop’s perceived educational value. In two consecutive years, students were surveyed with the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) following a four-hour, case-based workshop. During the second year, students were also surveyed before the workshop and answered open-ended questions about its educational value. PT and MD students had similar mean pre-workshop RIPLS scores (83.0, SD 5.3 vs. 80.7, SD 7.9; p = .27), but post-workshop scores were higher among PT students (86.3, SD 6.5 vs. 80.3, SD 8.8; p < .001). Qualitative thematic analysis of responses to open-ended questions revealed students valued IPE within the workshop. However, MD students in particular identified improvement opportunities in workshop delivery, timing, and content. These factors undermined the perceived educational value for MD students and may have contributed to their lower post-workshop RIPLS scores. This study suggests that a brief workshop can improve readiness for IPE among pre-professional students and highlights the importance of content, delivery, and timing to IPE success.