Medical student perceptions and attitudes related to interprofessional collaboration at a student-run free clinic

Medical student perceptions and attitudes related to interprofessional collaboration at a student-run free clinic

Knepp, Kristen A.

Fischbein, Rebecca

Gardner-Buckshaw, Stacey L.

Boltri, John M.

2022

Many medical universities have student-run free clinics that enable trainees to obtain hands-on clinical experience with underserved populations. This study takes place at one such clinic based at a multidisciplinary health sciences institution in the midwestern U.S. As part of a federally funded program, the research team conducted a survey of the clinic's student volunteers over a 6-month period. Students were queried about their experiences working in the clinic, including perceptions of collaboration with other student volunteers, satisfaction with shared decision-making, confidence with delivering care in various formats (including telehealth), and experiences working on interprofessional teams. Results indicated that overall, students reported a high degree of collaboration within the clinic and expressed confidence working in teams. Moreover, more experienced students reported greater satisfaction with the collaboration among team members, as well as more confidence with working as a member of a team, as compared to first-year students. Students who volunteered at the clinic more frequently also reported greater confidence working as part of a telemedicine team, as compared to students who spent fewer days staffing the clinic. This research can inform institutional efforts to improve the quality of interprofessional education and experiential learning for future physicians and other healthcare professionals.

In Journal of Interprofessional Education & Practice December 2022 29

English