Changes in attitudes of undergraduate students learning interprofessional education in the absence of patient safety modules: evaluation with a modified T-TAQ instrument

ABSTRACT

Communication underpinning well-functioning teamwork is a key mechanism for patient safety. Undergraduate interprofessional education (IPE) provides students with a basic understanding of the psychological factors contributing to teamwork. To develop IPE fostering a collaborative mindset for patient safety, attitudinal changes of students for patient safety were evaluated. Changes in the scores of the modified attitudes toward health care teams scale (ATHCTS) and the modified teamwork attitudes questionnaire (T-TAQ) of students pre- and post-IPE program were evaluated in the 2017 academic year. One hundred and fifty-one students (n=151) of five health professions (medicine, nursing, laboratory science, physiotherapy and occupational therapy) and 125 students of a possible 167 completed the survey before and after the IPE program, respectively. In the modified ATHCTS, 11 out of 14 items showed a significant change. The “quality of care delivery” and “patient-centered care” subscales showed significant increases in the regression factor score. In contrast, only 7 out of 30 items showed a significant increase in the modified T-TAQ. Four out of five categories, however, showed a significant increase, although the factor structure did not correspond to the T-TAQ category structure. The IPE program may have significant capacity to cultivate competencies to collaborate for patient safety. However, development of IPE may require preceding subjects providing concrete knowledge for patient safety, especially for communication and leadership.

KEYWORDS:

• Interprofessional education
• IPE
• T-TAQ
• patient safety

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported from Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of the Japanese Government by the Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research [(B) 15H04749].

Notes on contributors

Hideomi Watanabe

Hideomi Watanabe, MD Phd, is a specialist in Orthopaedic Surgery and is Head of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training on Interprofessional Education, Gunma University (JPN-89). His research interests are in the area of IPE and the role and effects in the patient safety as Vice-President in charge of Patient Safety of Gunma University.

Takatoshi Makino

Takatoshi Makino, RN Phd, is a member of the WHO Collaborating Centre (JPN-89) responsible for research promotion. His research interests are in the area of IPE as well as the role of father in the sick child care. He is expert in the statistical analyses in social psychology.

Yoshiharu Tokita

Yoshiharu Tokita, MT PhD, is a member of the WHO Collaborating Centre (JPN-89) responsible for international IPE training course. His research interests are in the area of IPE as well as the clinical chemistry as a medical technologist. Mikiko Kishi, MD, PhD, is a member of the WHO Collaborating Centre (JPN-89) responsible for international workshop. Her research interests are in the area of IPE as well as medical education.

Mikiko Kishi

Mikiko Kishi, MD, PhD, is a member of the WHO Collaborating Centre (JPN-89) responsible for international workshop. Her research interests are in the area of IPE as well as medical education.

Bumsuk Lee

Bumsuk Lee, OT PhD, is a member of the WHO Collaborating Centre (JPN-89) responsible for better understanding and dissemination of health professions education reforms including IPE. His research interests are in the area of IPE as well as the biokinetics as an occupational therapist.

Hiroki Matsui

Hiroki Matsui, MT PhD, is a member of the WHO Collaborating Centre (JPN-89) responsible for research promotion. His research interests are in the area of IPE as well as the cell and molecular biology as a medical technologist.

Hiromitsu Shinozaki

Hiromitsu Shinozaki, MD PhD, is a specialist in Obstetrics and Gynecology and is Vice-Head of the WHO Collaborating Centre (JPN-89). His research interests are in the area of IPE in the perinatal care.

Akinori Kama

Akinori Kama, PhD, is a member of the WHO Collaborating Centre (JPN-89) responsible for IPE-disseminating activity. His research interests are in the area of public health with the background of the previous Liaison Officer for the Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia Regional Office.