Impact of hospitals’ IPE adoption on medical professionals

Abstract

Purpose： To clarify the impacts on medical professionals when a hospital adopts clinical interprofessional education (IPE). Method：This study conducted a focus group discussion with one doctor, two nurses, and two pharmacists in a hospital. The data were analyzed qualitatively and descriptively. Results：A total of 47 codes, 5 categories, and 19 subcategories were extracted. The five main categories in a hospital adopting IPE for the first time were as follows: （1） Problems experienced as a result of clinical IPE implementation; （2） Enhancing cooperation and partnerships between faculty, doctors, nurses, and pharmacists within the hospital ward; （3） Awareness of themselves as professionals within a hospital that has adopted IPE and the need for creative and innovative rollout methods; （4） Hospital staff’s understanding of each other’s expertise; （5） Opportunities for IPE instructors' professional growth. Conclusion：Clinical IPE led to improvement in the educational abilities of training instructors and facilitated interprofessional work （IPW） in clinical settings. The results suggest the need to allocate more time to training opportunities for staff and to enhance IPW.