title: Impact of interprofessional education on collaboration attitudes, skills, and behavior among primary care professionals.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Care for the frail elderly is often provided by several professionals. Collaboration between them is essential, but remains difficult to achieve. Interprofessional education (IPE) can improve this collaboration. We developed a 9-hour IPE program for primary care professionals from 7 disciplines caring for the frail elderly, and aimed to establish whether the program improved professionals' interprofessional attitudes and attitudes toward collaboration, collaboration skills, and collaborative behavior. We also evaluated learners' reactions to the program.
  
  
  METHODS
  Before-after study, using the Interprofessional Attitudes Questionnaire (IAQ, score:1 to 7); Attitudes Toward Health Care Teams Scale (ATHCTS, score: 0 to 105); and Team Skills Scale (TSS, score:17 to 85). Additionally, semistructured interviews were conducted with 10 selected participants.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants' (N = 80) overall interprofessional attitudes improved (IAQ baseline: 5.49; follow-up: 5.67, p = 0.001); attitudes toward geriatric teams did not change (ATHCTS baseline: 69.9; follow-up: 69.1, p = 0.32). Participants' self-reported team skills improved (TSS baseline: 45.7; follow-up: 48.1, p = 0.001). In the interviews, many interviewees reported increased collaboration with professionals of other disciplines due to the program. Interviewees considered the program's interprofessional nature and attending the program with local professionals important contributing factors to the experienced improvements in collaboration. However, they also noted that not all parts of the program had met the needs of all participating disciplines, due to differences in professional background and knowledge.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A brief IPE program can improve interprofessional attitudes, collaboration skills, and collaborative behavior. That such a program allows professionals to get acquainted with each other and each other's viewpoints appears to be as important as the educational content.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatric Medicine, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre. s.robben@ger.umcn.nl
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Robben
authors.forename: Marieke
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Perry
authors.forename: Leontien
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: van Nieuwenhuijzen
authors.forename: Theo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: van Achterberg
authors.forename: Marcel Olde
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Rikkert
authors.forename: Henk
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schers
authors.forename: Maud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Heinen
authors.forename: René
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Melis
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D005260:Female; D016330:Frail Elderly; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006299:Health Services for the Aged; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D010348:Patient Care Team; D011320:Primary Health Care; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D000078329:Workforce