Contact is not enough: a qualitative study of how space and place impact on interprofessional education

ABSTRACT

Interprofessional education (IPE) aims to prepare health-care students to provide patient care in a collaborative team environment. However, much health-care education is delivered in places and spaces which do not support interprofessional interaction. To examine the consequences of this, we explored how a relatively new health-care education center (the “space” and “place”) impacted interprofessional learning. This qualitative study drew on two data sources. Documents (n = 50) related to building design and curricula plans, and focus groups with medical and physician associate students co-learning within the building to explore their experiences of the building in relation to IPE (17 participants). Data coding and analysis were inductive, using thematic analysis. A key objective for the building was to support IPE. This objective was not translated into operational detail in later documents or into practice, as indicated by student experiences. Students experienced tensions and isolation from each other and other health-care students because of the building’s place (i.e. separate from other health-care programs), the learning space within the building, and the interplay between the space and timetables. This empirical study suggests that space and place can impact on interprofessional learning, emphasizing the importance of clearly conceptualizing educational spaces and places to underpin successful IPE.

KEYWORDS:

• Interprofessional education
• Undergraduate Medical Education
• Space and Place
• Case Study

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.

Additional information

Funding

The authors did not receive any funding to perform the study or produce the article.

Notes on contributors

Lorraine Hawick

Lorraine Hawick, RGN MSc PGCert(HELT) AFHEA PhD, is a Lecturer in the Institute for Education in Medical and Dental Sciences at the University of Aberdeen. Lorraine is interested in the challenges and unintended consequences of change, particularly the lived experiences of people (clinical staff, academic staff, students and patients) when exposed to a significant change or intervention.

Simon Kitto

Simon Kitto, BA(Hons)Dip.Ed., PhD, is a Professor in DIME and Director of Research, Continuing Professional Development, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa. He publishes in the field of health professions education with a particular focus on interprofessional collaboration.

Jennifer Cleland

Jennifer Cleland, BSc(Hons), MSc, PhD, D Clinical Psychology, FRCP (Edin), FAoME, is Vice-Dean (Education) and Professor of Medical Education Research, LKC Medicine, Nanyang Technological University Singapore. She was formerly based at the University of Aberdeen, UK.  She publishes extensively in the field of medical education.