Health professions students’ attitudes and perceptions of interprofessional biases

Abstract

Abstract Objective The purpose of this study was to examine attitudes toward interprofessional, team-based care in first-year health professions students. Methods A cross-sectional questionnaire was administered to all first-year health professions students in their first semester at one university using the Interprofessional Attitudes Scale (IPAS). Kruskal–Wallis tests were used to analyze the data. Key findings Results indicated only two significant differences among students in IPAS subdomains: teamwork (χ2 = 13.11, df = 3, P = 0.004) and patient-centredness (χ2 = 40.75, df = 3, P < 0.0001). Conclusions Not all health professions students come into their formal education with the same level of attitudes toward team-based care. Educators should consider this when designing IPE activities.