A team-based interprofessional practice placement in primary care to promote students’ interprofessional collaborative competences

Abstract

Interprofessional collaboration is crucial in primary care, challenging undergraduate healthcare students developing collaborative competences for future practice. Team-Based Interprofessional Practice Placements (TIPP) in primary care offer authentic learning environments fostering interprofessional competences. However, the impact of a TIPP on Interprofessional Collaborative Competences (IPCC) remains unclear. We investigated students' IPCC before and after a TIPP in primary care (n = 156). IPCC were assessed based on the Dutch version of the Interprofessional Collaborative Competence Attainment Scale (ICCAS). The TIPP led to significant higher ICCAS scores, indicating an increase in self-perceived competences and overall improvements of IPCC across all study programs. However, the effect of the TIPP varied across competences, with dimensions as Collaboration and Roles and Responsibilities showing distinct patterns of growth within nursing and dietetics. Post-assessment data demonstrated no significant differences in ICCAS scores between study programs, suggesting the TIPP fostered comparable levels of competences across student cohorts, mitigating disparities in the pre-assessment data. This study highlights positive shifts observed in IPCC following a TIPP in primary care highlighting the significance of IPE and contributes to a deeper understanding of IPCC development in authentic learning environments.