title: Interprofessional learning through shadowing: Insights and lessons learned.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Interprofessional education (IPE) aims to improve patient outcomes. Interprofessional shadowing improves students' knowledge of different roles and attitudes toward other professionals.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study evaluates (1) how pre-clinical medical students describe the roles of the healthcare professionals they shadowed, and (2) whether shadowing can be used to introduce medical students to the benefits of interprofessional collaboration, and if so, in what ways.
  
  
  METHODS
  Second-year medical students shadow another discipline and write a reflection on the shadowed discipline (SD)'s role and collaboration in patient care. A non-proportional stratified random sample of these reflections was coded during an iterative process. Any number of the 13 possible codes could be assigned to each reflection. Codes relevant to the research questions underwent narrative analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The most frequent codes were "specific function of SD" (88%), "SD's general purpose" (86%), and "value of SD's role" (68%). One-third of reflections referenced "communication," and one-third mentioned "teamwork." Insights gained included an appreciation for interprofessional care and a global perspective on patient care, extending beyond the inpatient encounter.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Through shadowing, students achieve several IPE core competencies and a broader perspective on patient care. Shadowing is an effective pedagogical method for IPE in the pre-clerkship curriculum.
authors.affiliation: a Baylor College of Medicine , Houston , TX , USA.
authors.forename: Anita V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Kusnoor
authors.affiliation: a Baylor College of Medicine , Houston , TX , USA.
authors.forename: Linda A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Stelljes
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003142:Communication; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D004501:Education, Medical / Q000379:methods*; D006126:Group Processes; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D010348:Patient Care Team; D024382:Professional Role; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*