A development and achievement of interprofessional education learning model in community diagnosis and health promotion for undergraduate health professional students

Abstract

This mixed methods research study aims to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of an interprofessional education (IPE) learning model in community diagnosis and health promotion. The study involved a sample of 15 instructors, 10 mentors, 10 collaborating healthcare volunteers, and 193 undergraduate health professional students, comprising 152 second-year medical students and 41 third-year health promotion students. The participants were selected using purposive sampling methods. The study procedure was conducted as follows: 1) Focus groups and in-depth interview techniques were employed to study and analyze the fundamentals of interprofessional education learning among instructors, mentors, and collaborating healthcare volunteers. 2) Development of IPE model. 3) Implementation of the IPE model with undergraduate health professional students. 4) Evaluation of the IPE model's achievements. Data was collected using the IPE model's achievements, Oxford happiness, and satisfaction questionnaire after participating in the IPE model. Descriptive statistics were utilized to analyze the quantitative data, while content analysis was employed to analyze the qualitative data. The findings indicated an absence of dedicated content for interprofessional education learning in both health promotion and medical curricula. Additionally, there was a lack of comprehension and direct experience in IPE among undergraduate health professional students. The IPE model included orientation, human bingo, a lecture, soft skills development, and a week of community fieldwork. This approach aimed to provide students with experience in collaborating with community healthcare teams, engaging in group discussions, self-directed learning, and reflection. The results also indicated that a majority of students achieved excellent grades and reported high levels of satisfaction (Mean 4.39 ± 0.52) and good levels of happiness (Mean 3.61 ± 0.42) after participating in the IPE model. Consequently, it is recommended that the Institute of Education endorse and facilitate the adoption of the IPE model to enhance the interprofessional collaborative competency of undergraduate health professional students.