Interprofessional Education and Collaboration Among Healthcare Students and Professionals: A Systematic Review and Call for Action

Interprofessional education (IPE) is a prerequisite to building a collaborative practice environment and optimizing patient care. The purpose of this systematic review was to assess the impact of IPE on outcomes related to healthcare pre-licensure learners and professionals, including: changes in attitudes/perceptions; acquisition of knowledge regarding other disciplines’ roles and development of collaborative skills; and change in collaborative behavior. We searched PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, and ERIC for studies published from 2007 to 2017 in English; nineteen studies were eligible. The Joanna Briggs Institute appraisal tool was used to assess the quality of the studies. Thirteen studies used a quasi-experimental design. The studies varied in terms of setting, teaching methods, assessment measures, and quality. Seventeen of the nineteen studies (89%) that assessed change in attitudes towards other disciplines and value placed on a team-based approach for improving patient care, found statistically significant improvements. All seven of the studies that assessed change in collaborative behavior found statistically significant improvements. Among the 12 studies that assessed development of collaborative skills, there were mixed-results. Future directions include: conducting more studies among healthcare professionals, assessing the long-term impact of IPE, objectively assessing change in collaborative behavior, and assessing the impact of IPE on patient-centered outcomes