Participant evaluation of an education module on interprofessional collaboration for students in healthcare studies.
BACKGROUND
Interprofessional collaboration is considered a key-factor to deliver the highest quality of care. Interprofessional collaboration (IPC) assumes a model of working together, in particular with awareness of the process of interprofessional collaboration, to develop an integrated and cohesive answer to the needs of the client/family/population. Educational modules are developed in response to a perceived need to improve interprofessional collaboration for the benefit of patientcare. Up until 2005 no explicit module on interprofessional collaboration existed in the education programs of the Antwerp University Association (AUHA). During a decade the 'Interprofessional Collaboration In Healthcare (IPCIHC) - module' is organised and evaluated by its participants.


METHODS
One group, post-test design was used to gather data from the participating students using a structured questionnaire. Data was collected between March 2005 and March 2014 from participating final year students in healthcare educational programs.


RESULTS
3568 (84 % overall response) students evaluated the IPCIHC module from 2005 up to 2014. Over 80 % of the participants were convinced the IPCIHC increased their knowledge and changed their understanding that it will impact their future professional relationships, and felt a greater understanding about problem-solving in healthcare teams. Even though the results indicate that the goals of the IPCIHC module were achieved, less than 60 % of the participants experienced a change in attitude towards other professional groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Despite the positive outcomes from the participants, the challenge still remains to keep on educating future healthcare providers in interprofessional collaboration in order to achieve an increase in interprofessional behaviour towards other professional groups. Research is needed to investigate the effectiveness of undergraduate programs on the quality and safety of patientcare in practice.
Department of Primary and Interdisciplinary Care, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium. giannoula.tsakitzidis@uantwerpen.be.
Giannoula
G
Tsakitzidis
Department of Nursing and Midwifery Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Centre for Research and Innovation in Care, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium. olaf.timmermans@uantwerpen.be.|HZ University of Applied Sciences, Vlissingen, The Netherlands. olaf.timmermans@uantwerpen.be.
Olaf
O
Timmermans
Department of Health Sciences, Artesis-Plantijn University College of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium. nadine.callewaert@ap.be.
Nadine
N
Callewaert
Department of Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium. steven.truijen@uantwerpen.be.
Steven
S
Truijen
Department of Sociology and Research Centre for Longitudinal and Life Course Studies, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium. herman.meulemans@uantwerpen.be.|Centre for Health Systems Research and Development, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa. herman.meulemans@uantwerpen.be.
Herman
H
Meulemans
Department of Primary and Interdisciplinary Care, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium. paul.vanroyen@uantwerpen.be.
Paul
P
Van Royen
D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D004517:Education, Professional / Q000379:methods* / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D009426:Netherlands; D010348:Patient Care Team; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires