Ein Mixed-Methods-Ansatz zur Evaluation eines interprofessionellen Wahlfachs in der Palliativmedizin: Veränderungen von Wahrnehmung und Einstellung gegenüber anderen Gesundheitsberufen

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

Abstract

Background: Future health care increasingly requires interprofessional thinking and decision-making which should be taught during medical study and vocational training. Against this backdrop, the Medical Faculty at TU Dresden developed an elective course on “Interprofessional Palliative Medicine” in which medical students and trainees in different health professions have been taught together since the 2017 summer semester. An extensive and simultaneous course evaluation conducted in the 2019 summer semester and 2019/20 winter semester investigated if and how strongly attendees’ perceptions of interprofessional collaboration had changed as a result of the elective course. Method: The course evaluations included quantitative pre- and post- questions on a questionnaire (n=50) covering, among other things, the perception of roles, according to the Role Perception Questionnaire, and qualitative interviews (n=20). The pre- and post-questions were compared using the Wilcoxon test for related samples and the effect sizes were calculated according to Cohen. The qualitative interviews were analyzed for content using a combined deductive-inductive ap- proach. Results: It was seen that the perceptions and attitudes of each professional group were mutually influenced as a result of the elective course. The quantitative analysis showed the largest effects regarding gains in understanding the roles and competencies of one’s own and the other professions (d=0.975) and a reciprocal feeling of “being dependent on each other” (d=0.845). In the interviews, it was seen that medical students developed a greater appreciation for the subject matter and tasks associated with nursing. A strengthening of self-perception was primarily found in the trainees. Conclusion: The elective course on “Interprofessional Palliative Medicine” contributed to the changes in attitude not only with an increased self-awareness of one’s own professional group, but also a greater understanding of the roles and expertise of the other health professions. The results speak for the benefit of expanding the interprofessional courses offered.

Translated title of the contribution
A mixed-methods evaluation of interprofessional education in palliative care
Changes in student attitudes towards health professions

Details

Original languageGerman
Article numberDoc104
JournalGMS Journal for Medical Education
Volume38
Issue number6
Publication statusPublished - 2021
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

PubMed 34651062

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Keywords

  • Health professions, Interprofessional education, Palliative care, Teaching