Variations in measurement of interprofessional core competencies: a systematic review of self-report instruments in undergraduate health professions education

ABSTRACT

Educating health care professionals for working in interprofessional teams is a key preparation for roles in modern healthcare. Interprofessional teams require members who are competent in their roles. Self-assessment instruments measuring interprofessional competence (IPC) are widely used in educational preparation, but their ability to accurately and reliably measure competence is unknown. We conducted a systematic review to identify variations in the characteristics and use of self-report instruments measuring IPC. Following a systematic search of electronic databases and after applying eligibility criteria, 38 articles were included that describe 8 IPC self-report instruments. A large variation was found in the extent of coverage of IPC core competencies as articulated by the Interprofessional Education Collaborative. Each instrument’s strength of evidence, psychometric performance and uses varied. Rather than measuring competency as “behaviours”, they measured indirect proxies for competence, such as attitudes towards core interprofessional competencies. Educators and researchers should identify the most appropriate and highest-performing IPC instruments according to the context in which they will be used.

Systematic review registration: Open Science Framework (https://archive.org/details/osf-registrations-vrfjn-v1).

KEYWORDS:

• Competence
• evaluation
• instrument
• interprofessional education
• interprofessional learning
• undergraduate students

Acknowledgments

Thank you to active participants in the workshop hosted by the Medical Education group at Örebro University on IPC competences in relation to instrument items. We also would like to thank librarians Linda Bejerstrand and Elias Olsson from Örebro University Library for sharing their expertise and support in searches and data management.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.

Notes on contributors

Renée Allvin

Renée Allvin, PhD, is associate professor at the School of Health Sciences, Örebro University, Sweden. She has long experience and research interest in medical simulation and clinical training.

Carl Thompson

Professor Carl Thompson is Chair in Applied Health Research and Dame Kathleen Raven Chair in Clinical Research at the University of Leeds, UK. He has a long-standing interest in researching and teaching the ways professionals use information in their clinical decision-making and judgement.

Samuel Edelbring

Samuel Edelbring, PhD, is associate professor in medical education and vice dean for educational development at the School of Health Sciences, Örebro University. His research interest concern IPE, clinical reasoning, and workplace-based learning.