Getting real in interprofessional clinical placements: patient-centeredness in student teams’ collaborative learning

Abstract

Collaboration between healthcare providers helps tackle the increasing complexity of healthcare. When learning teamwork, interprofessional students are expected to work patient-centered; recognizing the patient’s expertise and partnering with them. Research on interprofessional education (IPE) for undergraduates has illuminated learning outcomes, organization of learning activities, change in attitudes, etc. But, we know little about the interaction between patients and interprofessional student teams. This study aimed to explore how interprofessional student teams and patients interact in interprofessional clinical placements. With a focused ethnographic approach, participant observation and qualitative interviews were conducted in two contexts; a physical and an online arrangement. Central ideas in Goffman’s dramaturgy constituted a theoretical lens. A reflexive thematic analysis generated three themes: (1) Preparing safe and comfortable encounters with patients, (2) Including and excluding the patient in the encounter, and (3) Adjusting to the patient's situation. We identified students’ intentions of patient-centeredness when preparing encounters, but patients did not always feel included and listened to in encounters. After encountering patients, student teams adjusted their teamwork, by changing the team composition or the planned clinical interventions to better meet the patients’ needs. Notably, team-based patient encounters led to a different view of the patient, their health issues, and how to collaborate. Our findings can inform educators of the importance of addressing patient-centered care in interprofessional learning arrangements. Today, clinical interprofessional placements may not exploit the potential for learning about patient-centeredness. A thematization of this, e.g., in supervision in future clinical placements can ensure an enhanced focus on this in interprofessional teamwork.

Navigating in a landscape of practices : Healthcare students’ interprofessional collaboration and learning

“…Research has also shown that interprofessional training wards and/or interprofessional clinical placement is perceived as a safe place for learning (Hallin & Kiessling, 2016), and that they enhance students understanding professional roles (Morphet et al, 2014). It has also been found that IPE influences the students' perception of interprofessional socialisation and teamwork (Mink et al, 2021), and that students learn to adjust in how they collaborate based on seeing a patient together (Jensen et al, 2022).…”

Development and implementation of Interprofessional Education: Global perspectives

“…Despite the signi cant role of IPE in improving health professions' education and healthcare outcomes, many institutions still implement isolated health professions curricula. Limited exposure to IPE can lead to little competency to meet complex healthcare needs (Jensen et al, 2022;WHO, 2010). Thus, exposing patients to ineffective healthcare and concomitant poor healthcare outcomes.…”