• Alison Pinto, Sam Lee, Samantha Lombardo, Mariam Salama, Sandi Ellis, Theresa Kay, Robyn Davies, and Michel D Landry.
• Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto.
• Physiother Can. 2012 Jan 1;64(2):145-56.

PurposeTo examine how a structured inter-professional education (IPE) clinical placement influences health care professional (HCP) students' perceptions of inter-professional collaboration (IPC) relative to that of students in a traditional clinical placement.MethodsThis study used a mixed-methods design. The Interdisciplinary Education Perception Scale (IEPS) was administered to HCP students (n=36) in two Toronto hospitals before and after a structured 5-week IPE clinical placement to examine changes in their perceptions of IPC. Students in a traditional clinical placement (n=28) were used as a control group. Focus groups were then conducted with seven students who took part in the structured IPE clinical placement. A coding framework was devised a priori, and the qualitative results were used to explain the quantitative findings.ResultsThere were no statistically significant differences between groups after the structured IPE clinical placement, but the intervention group showed a greater positive trend in total IEPS scores from baseline to follow-up. Qualitative data suggest that students valued the knowledge and skills gained through the structured IPE clinical placement.ConclusionsFindings suggest that structured IPE clinical placements may provide students with valuable collaborative learning opportunities, enhanced respect for other professionals, and insight into the value of IPC in healthcare delivery. More research is needed to explore other factors that influence specific perceptions among physical therapy students.

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