Abstract
Introduction: The secret to success in a fast-paced hospital setting where patients confront complicated concerns is interprofessional collaboration. Interprofessional collaboration could be achieved through interprofessional education (IPE). The objective of this study is to ascertain the quantity, variety, and breadth of research papers on Pakistani health professions students' (HPS) attitudes toward interprofessional education (IPE).
Methods: A scoping review was conducted from March 2022 to August 2022. PICO framework was used for developing research question. Iterative process for literature search was done by development of search terms using Mesh terminologies, Boolean operators and keywords to capture the studies of interest from Medline (EBSCO Host), Pubmed, Google Scholar, and Pak medinet. Inclusion and exclusion criteria was developed and studies conducted in Pakistan on interprofessional education in undergraduate healthcare professions program focusing on attitudes towards IPE were included. Data extraction sheet was developed and all the included studies were impartially examined by first three separate reviewers, who also chose the papers for the final scoping review.
Results: A preliminary search turned in 31,547 studies, of which 106 were eligible for inclusion. Among 106, 09 studies were included and analyzed. The categories that were made during the scoping review were attitudes toward IPE, factors facilitating IPE, and barriers to the implementation of IPE. Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) and Interprofessional Education Perception Scale (IEPS) instruments were used to assess students in Pakistani health professions' attitudes towards IPE. Interprofessional Communication (IPC) instrument was used to evaluate communication, revealing how crucial it is in healthcare settings. 5 out of 9 studies used RIPLS to assess the readiness of health professions students towards IPE in Pakistani context. One study used Interprofessional Education Scale (IEPS) in combination with RIPLS. One study used IPC to assess the perception of interprofessional communication amongst nurses and one study used a self-developed questionnaire based on one-best type MCQ to assess the concept of IPE to continuing education among working physicians. Medical students demonstrated greater awareness of IPE compared to dental and Pharm D students. Integrated curriculum students had more positive responses. Facilitators for IPE are interprofessional communication, informal meetings, facilitator experience, and dedicated Interprofessional Education Units. Whereas, poor interprofessional communication, limited understanding of other professions and scope of practice, low and poor quality interactions between health professions students and lack of exposure to IPE were reported as barriers.
Conclusion: In current times of curriculum transformation from traditional to integrated exploration of health professions student’s attitude towards IPE are significantly important because the motivation and readiness for IPE is greatly influenced by the perception. The affective domain, which is necessary for IPE to succeed over the long term, is the main emphasis of this review. The published literature's primary drawback, however, is that it is founded on the self-reported impressions and attitudes of students of health professions. Additionally, because the bulk of research were cross-sectional and focused on medical students, more studies across other health care professions students are required to produce more comprehensive results.
Notes
References: Riaz A, Iqbal MZ, AlEraky MM. Measuring the attitude of Pakistani health professional students towards interprofessional education. Health Professions Educator Journal. 2019 Jun 30;2(2):10-7.
Visser CL, Ket JC, Croiset G, Kusurkar RA. Perceptions of residents, medical and nursing students about Interprofessional education: a systematic review of the quantitative and qualitative literature. BMC Medical Education. 2017 Dec;17(1):1-3.
Mian RQ. Interprofessional Education: Are we ready for it?. Health Professions Educator Journal. 2020 May 27;3(2):31-6.
Rehman SU, Ali F, Ahmad MU. Interprofessional education: a basic need of healthcare department in Pakistan. International Journal of Biotechnology for Wellness Industries. 2017 Aug 29;6(2):55-63.
Curran VR, Sharpe D, Forristall J, Flynn K. Attitudes of health sciences students towards interprofessional teamwork and education. Learning in Health and Social Care. 2008 Sep;7(3):146-56.
Nadeem S, Riyaz S, Iqbal T, Mushtaq M, Shaheen N, Jamil A. Interprofessional Education: Perceptions of Health Professional Students. Biomedica. 2018 Oct;34(4):270.
Mukhtar J, Hussain M, Perveen K, Afzal M, Gilani SA. Students’ Perception and Readiness towards Inter-Professional Learning. International Journal of Social Sciences and Management. 2018 Jul 27;5(3):192-200.
Cameron A, Rennie S, DiProspero L, Langlois S, Wagner S, Potvin M, Dematteo D, LeBlanc V, Reeves S. An Introduction to teamwork findings from an evaluation of an interprofessional education experience for 1,000 first-year health science students. Journal of allied health. 2009 Dec 1;38(4):220-6.
Liaqat M, Afzal M, Kausar Perveen AW, Gillani SA. Asses perception and barriers of interprofessional communication among nurses in Shaikh Zayed Hospital, Lahore Pakistan.
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Sigma Membership
Rho Delta
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Other
Research Approach
Other
Keywords:
Interprofessional Collaboration, Interprofessional Education, Interdisciplinary Education, Student Attitudes, Pakistan
Recommended Citation
Khowaja-Punjwani, Sumaira; Tabassum, Afifa; Alam, Shams Nadeem; Ali, Syeda Kauser; and Baig, Lubna, "Attitude of Health Professions Students Regarding Interprofessional Education in Pakistan: A Scoping Review" (2026). Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE). 46.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/chwe/2024/presentations_2024/46
Conference Name
Creating Healthy Work Environments
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Washington, DC, USA
Conference Year
2024
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record. All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository. All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Date of Issue
2026-02-18
Attitude of Health Professions Students Regarding Interprofessional Education in Pakistan: A Scoping Review
Washington, DC, USA
Introduction: The secret to success in a fast-paced hospital setting where patients confront complicated concerns is interprofessional collaboration. Interprofessional collaboration could be achieved through interprofessional education (IPE). The objective of this study is to ascertain the quantity, variety, and breadth of research papers on Pakistani health professions students' (HPS) attitudes toward interprofessional education (IPE).
Methods: A scoping review was conducted from March 2022 to August 2022. PICO framework was used for developing research question. Iterative process for literature search was done by development of search terms using Mesh terminologies, Boolean operators and keywords to capture the studies of interest from Medline (EBSCO Host), Pubmed, Google Scholar, and Pak medinet. Inclusion and exclusion criteria was developed and studies conducted in Pakistan on interprofessional education in undergraduate healthcare professions program focusing on attitudes towards IPE were included. Data extraction sheet was developed and all the included studies were impartially examined by first three separate reviewers, who also chose the papers for the final scoping review.
Results: A preliminary search turned in 31,547 studies, of which 106 were eligible for inclusion. Among 106, 09 studies were included and analyzed. The categories that were made during the scoping review were attitudes toward IPE, factors facilitating IPE, and barriers to the implementation of IPE. Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) and Interprofessional Education Perception Scale (IEPS) instruments were used to assess students in Pakistani health professions' attitudes towards IPE. Interprofessional Communication (IPC) instrument was used to evaluate communication, revealing how crucial it is in healthcare settings. 5 out of 9 studies used RIPLS to assess the readiness of health professions students towards IPE in Pakistani context. One study used Interprofessional Education Scale (IEPS) in combination with RIPLS. One study used IPC to assess the perception of interprofessional communication amongst nurses and one study used a self-developed questionnaire based on one-best type MCQ to assess the concept of IPE to continuing education among working physicians. Medical students demonstrated greater awareness of IPE compared to dental and Pharm D students. Integrated curriculum students had more positive responses. Facilitators for IPE are interprofessional communication, informal meetings, facilitator experience, and dedicated Interprofessional Education Units. Whereas, poor interprofessional communication, limited understanding of other professions and scope of practice, low and poor quality interactions between health professions students and lack of exposure to IPE were reported as barriers.
Conclusion: In current times of curriculum transformation from traditional to integrated exploration of health professions student’s attitude towards IPE are significantly important because the motivation and readiness for IPE is greatly influenced by the perception. The affective domain, which is necessary for IPE to succeed over the long term, is the main emphasis of this review. The published literature's primary drawback, however, is that it is founded on the self-reported impressions and attitudes of students of health professions. Additionally, because the bulk of research were cross-sectional and focused on medical students, more studies across other health care professions students are required to produce more comprehensive results.
Description
In this scoping review, the attitudes of Pakistani health professions students towards interprofessional education (IPE) were examined using a systematic literature search that turned up 106 suitable articles. Categories identified were attitudes, facilitators, and barriers to IPE implementation, highlighting the importance of understanding students' perceptions.