title: Attitudes of faculty and students in medicine and the health professions toward interprofessional education.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study evaluated the important relationship between faculty and student attitudes toward interprofessional education using the Interdisciplinary Education Perception Scale (IEPS).
  
  
  METHODS
  Medicine, nursing, occupational therapy, pharmacy, and physical therapy faculty (n = 177) completed the IEPS. Students from these disciplines participate in a 2-year, interdisciplinary curriculum in which they were assigned to a team to work with a patient volunteer. Students (n = 496) completed the IEPS at the end of program year one. The IEPS measures four factors: professional competence/autonomy; perceived need for professional cooperation; perception of actual cooperation/resource sharing within and across professions; and understanding the value of other professions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall attitude scores for faculty and students were high, ranging from 3.93 to 4.40 on a 5-point scale. Attitudes on each factor were also high, with the exception of factor 4, "understanding the value of other professions," having the lowest scores, 3.26 to 3.92.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The positive attitudes among faculty and students and across professions suggest an acceptance of the principles of interprofessional education and a readiness to engage in interprofessional practice. The lower scores on factor 4 indicate the need for additional educational programs focusing on understanding the roles of each profession.
authors.affiliation: Office of Institutional Research, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA. Carolyn.giordano@jefferson.edu
authors.forename: Carolyn
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Giordano
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Umland
authors.forename: Kevin J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Lyons
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003479:Curriculum; D005180:Faculty, Medical; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D013336:Students, Health Occupations / Q000523:psychology*; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology