Interprofessional education with medicine and physician associate students enhances the understanding of roles and responsibilities and highlights the importance of collaborative practice—a mixed‑methods study

Interprofessional education (IPE) plays a key role in preparing healthcare professionals for future collaborative practice. We explored the attitudes of first-year medical and physician associate (PA) students toward the team approach to care. Students participated in three IPE sessions, using cases designed to prompt discussion regarding professional roles, responsibilities, and team dynamics. We explored the impact of the sessions using the Students Perceptions of Interprofessional Clinical Education-Revised (SPICE-R2) instrument and focus groups. Fifty students completed the presurvey, and 48 students completed the postsurvey. There were increases in mean scores related to "teamwork and collaboration," "roles and responsibilities," and "patient outcomes." Focus group data suggested that both medical and PA students agreed that their education benefitted from the IPE sessions and that their ability to practice effectively as part of an interprofessional team would be enhanced as a result. Many students admitted to not having a clear understanding of their respective roles before the sessions and agreed that care delivered as part of an interprofessional team would positively impact patient care and reduce healthcare costs. The sessions helped students to understand their respective roles and responsibilities, and the importance of collaborative practice in improving patient outcomes.