Social representations of interdisciplinary work from the perspectives of students and clinical tutors on a cardiovascular rehabilitation program in Chile

Background

Cardiac Rehabilitation (CR) is scientifically recommended for its effectiveness and depends on interprofessional collaboration. However, the lack of clarity regarding how professionals collaborate limits clinical and educational actions and affects social representations.

Objective

To understand and compare the social representations of students and clinical tutors regarding their interdisciplinary work in the CR program at Hospital Padre Hurtado.

Method

The study drew on Moscovici's theory of social representations and employed a grounded theory methodology. The sample consisted of six clinical tutors and twelve students who participated in two focus groups and four in-depth individual interviews. Data were analyzed using Atlas.ti V3.0.

Results

The study’s central category was Interdisciplinarity which serves as a theoretical construct giving rise to the practical action of interdisciplinary work. This central category articulates three key social practices: solving health issues, interdisciplinary communication, and teamwork. The latter emerged as the anchoring mechanism that solidified their social representation. Both students and clinical tutors shared a positive view of interdisciplinary work, but their symbolic anchors for "teamwork" differed: tutors emphasized technical and ethical-professional aspects, while students viewed the concept from an emotional and formative standpoint. Communication was identified as a transversal axis of the interdisciplinary practice, with tutors emphasizing technical and organizational dimensions, and students highlighting emotional and relational elements.

Conclusions

The social representation of interdisciplinarity varies according to educational trajectories. This diversity presents an opportunity to intertwine the technical expertise of tutors with the emotionally situated experiences of students.