Could health scientists help advance interprofessional collaboration? A qualitative study on students’ views and perspectives on collaborative practice

Abstract

Background Interprofessional collaboration (IPC) is a key strategy for improving health and social care. Health scientists, an emerging professional group with a system perspective on health care, could help advance collaborative practice. The aim of this study was to describe the experiences of first-year health sciences students with a newly introduced course on interprofessional and interdisciplinary collaboration, and to explore their views and perspectives on collaborative practice. Methods The course was implemented at the University of Lucerne, Switzerland, in Spring 2022, and covered the current evidence and challenges of IPC, tasks and competencies of various health professionals, and real-world interprofessional projects. We conducted seven individual interviews and one focus group discussion with health sciences students who attended the course. To analyze the data, a hybrid approach of thematic analysis was applied. Results The analysis resulted in three main themes: (1) key lessons from the course, (2) health sciences as a professional field, and (3) the role of health scientists in interprofessional teams. Students were open-minded and considered collaborative practice a highly relevant topic. They emphasized the multifaceted course program, the variety of different professional perspectives, and the practical experiences of the interprofessional faculty. The interviewees described health sciences as a broad and flexible field with a holistic approach that could potentially complement the expertise of specialists, and envisioned their role in facilitating the collaboration between different health professions as well as across health care sectors. Conclusions Our results provide first insights into the potential roles and tasks of health scientists in interprofessional teams from the student perspective. Their broad and interdisciplinary perspective could help facilitate IPC at the individual, institutional and system levels, thereby potentially improving health care.