Presented By: Arlene Chan, Central Michigan University College of Medicine
Co-Authors: Jyotsna Pandey, Central Michigan University College of Medicine

Purpose 
Interprofessional collaboration in healthcare elevates patient care quality, emphasizing the importance of learning and collaborating with peers from diverse professions during education. Historically, medical school curricula lacked interdisciplinary teamwork instruction. Interprofessional education (IPE) emerged to bridge this gap, enhancing students' understanding of roles and team dynamics. Our project focuses on 1) exploring IPE's current landscape, 2) evaluating our program, 3) identifying exercise and evaluation gaps, and 4) providing recommendations for other universities. 

Methods 
IPE training impact was evaluated using IPAS and open-ended questions. Initial attitudes (pre-W1) were measured, followed by activities exploring roles and collaborating on a paper-based patient case. PostW1 and PostW2 IPAS assessments identified attitude shifts. A total of 233 students participated from various programs. 

Results 
Students were divided into four categories: 1) medical (MD) students, 2) students from physician assistant, speech and language pathology, audiology, and nursing programs, 3) students from physical therapy and athletic training programs, and 4) students from social work programs. Analyzing p-values for recognizing interprofessional bias, average scores increased across the three time points. PostW1 scores were significantly higher (p = 0.003) than Pre, and PostW2 scores were significantly higher (p < 0.001) than both Pre and PostW1. Qualitative analysis revealed MD students' evolving themes from leader, collaborator, advocator, educator, and diagnose and treat to post-exercise main themes of role clarity, making referrals, and collaboration in reflections on IPE teamwork exercises. 

Conclusions 
These findings underscore the positive impact of IPE training on students' attitudes and understanding of interprofessional collaboration. As future healthcare professionals, these students are better equipped with a collaborative mindset, essential for effective patient care and achieving positive healthcare outcomes. The study supports the continued integration of IPE programs into healthcare education to foster interprofessional competencies and enhance teamwork skills among diverse healthcare disciplines.