Preparing Future Healthcare Professionals for Collaborative Practice: Attitudes and Readiness for Interprofessional Education Among Undergraduate Health Care Students: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Contemporary health care systems depend on collaborative, team-based practice, and interprofessional education is recognized as a key strategy to prepare health care students for effective interprofessional collaboration. Despite global emphasis, structured incorporation of Interprofessional Education across undergraduate health care curricula in India remains limited. Assessing students’ attitudes and readiness is essential to inform curriculum development.
Purpose: The purpose of the study was to assess the attitude and readiness for interprofessional education and collaboration among undergraduate healthcare students.
Methods: A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted among undergraduate students from Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research, Chennai, India. Using probability-based stratified random sampling, 400 participants were recruited. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire comprising demographic variables, the Interprofessional Attitudes Scale, and the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale. Descriptive statistics summarized participant characteristics and scale scores, while inferential statistics, including ANOVA, examined differences across Medicine, Nursing, and physiotherapy programs.
Results: Most participants were aged 20–22 years (87%), single (98%), and reported no prior formal exposure to Interprofessional Education (88.3%). High IPAS scores were observed for teamwork and roles and responsibilities (35.510 ± 4.453), followed by patient-centeredness, community-centeredness, and diversity and ethics, whereas interprofessional biases scored comparatively lower. No significant program-wise differences were found for teamwork, roles, and responsibilities; however, significant differences were noted for other IPAS subscales. Overall readiness for IPE was high (74.843±8.733), with physiotherapy students demonstrating higher readiness scores, a difference that was statistically significant (F=11.139, p=0.000).
Conclusion: Undergraduate health care students demonstrated positive attitudes and high readiness for interprofessional education despite limited formal exposure. However, gaps related to role clarity and interprofessional biases persist. These findings highlight the need for structured, longitudinal, and clinically integrated Interprofessional Education within undergraduate curricula to strengthen collaborative competencies and support effective interprofessional practice.