A Thematic Analysis of the Attitudes and Perceptions of Faculty Towards Inclusion of Interprofessional Education in Healthcare Curriculum

• Main Authors: Singh, Jitendra, Eisenschenk, Tracy
• Format: Others
• Published: Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University 2021
• Subjects: Interprofessional Education (IPE); Thematic Analysis; Qualitative Study; Faculty; Healthcare; Clinical programs; Non-Clinical Programs; Education; Health and Medical Administration; Life Sciences; Medicine and Health Sciences; Social and Behavioral Sciences
• Online Access: https://dc.etsu.edu/ijhse/vol8/iss1/1; https://dc.etsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1117&context=ijhse

This qualitative study aimed to explore attitudes and perceptions of faculty towards inclusion of interprofessional education (IPE) in healthcare curriculum. Efforts were made to explore faculty members’ definition of IPE, significance of including IPE in content and curriculum and resources available to implement such initiatives in healthcare education programs. Further, challenges faced while including IPE in curriculum were also explored. Face to face semi structured interviews were conducted, and a six-step thematic analysis framework was utilized to analyze the collected data. Further, four dimension criteria was utilized to establish the rigor of the study. Eleven participants across undergraduate and graduate health profession programs participated in in-depth semi structured interviews. Findings suggest that faculty defined IPE through the framework of teamwork, the integration of clinical and non-clinical health-based disciplines, and as a means to foster experiential learning. Faculty identified organizational support, culture, the healthcare industry, administration, and accreditation as both resources and barriers to the successful implementation of IPE. Because there is paucity of research on IPE in clinical and non-clinical health disciplines, this research can provide practical tips to both academic administrators and faculty members.