Health professions students’ attitude, perception, and readiness toward interprofessional education and practice in Oman

Abstract

Objectives: Interactive learning through interprofessional education enhances collaborative practice. This study aims to determine the attitude, perception, and readiness of Omani undergraduate health professions students toward interprofessional education and practice. Methods: A total of 327 Omani undergraduates across different health fields participated in this cross-sectional study. Data was gathered via an online-based survey by using two previously validated and reliable tools: 1) the Student Perceptions of Interprofessional Clinical Education-revised (SPICE-R2) and 2) the Readiness for Interprofessional Education Scale-modified. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: The overall mean score of the students’ attitude and readiness toward interprofessional education was 56.77 (SD ¼ 5.51). The overall mean score of the students’ perception toward interprofessional education was 41.42 (SD ¼ 4.56). The overall mean attitude and readiness score and perception score were higher for the pharmacy students than for the rest of the students; however, no statistically significant difference was noted in the scores of attitude and readiness (p > .05), and perception (p > .05). Conclusions: Overall, the study revealed that all the health professionals in Oman, irrespective of the profession, disclosed a favourable attitude, a high state of readiness, and a positive perception toward interprofessional education and practice. Furthermore, all the health professionals considered teamwork and collaboration to be essential for better quality care and practice.