Students' perceptions of interprofessional learning and virtual patients in primary healthcare

Background: The benefits of interprofessional education in healthcare, such as improved communication and ability to teamwork, are well known globally. There is a need to prepare students for interprofessional collaboration in their future participation in the workforce. Healthcare educational programmes usually take place isolated from each other, which is an obstacle for collaboration between different healthcare students.

Aims: The overall aim of the present thesis was to find new ways to facilitate the students’ interprofessional learning in primary healthcare. The aim of study I was to explore how healthcare students’ perceived prerequisites for interprofessional education in primary healthcare. Study II was aimed to develop and assess an interprofessional virtual patient model for students´ learning. Study III had the aim to explore how a virtual patient could facilitate learning about team collaboration in online groups for students solely from the medical programme.

Material and Methods: A qualitative approach was used in study I and study II. Study III had a mixed methods design. In study II, we created the virtual patient model. The quantitative data in study III was an individual questionnaire before and after each virtual patient session. Studies I, II and III used semi-structured group interviews. In studies I and II, the students came from nursing, medical, physiotherapy and occupational therapy programmes. In study III, they were solely medical students.

Results: Students perceived obstacles for interprofessional education in primary healthcare, such as limited opportunities to meet other healthcare students. Students perceived a need for support and awareness from study programmes and from healthcare professionals working in primary healthcare (study I). The virtual patient model was developed, and it was assessed by students from four different study programmes. The students perceived that the virtual patient model facilitated their learning. The mixture of text and multimedia gave the students a feeling of authenticity in the case and stimulated group discussions (study II). The medical students in study III perceived that the virtual patient model provided them insight into team collaboration. Working with the virtual patient remotely online functioned well. The results from the questionnaires showed that the students gained insights into the roles and skills and expertise of other healthcare professions.

Conclusions: The students need support and awareness of interprofessional education both from study programmes and clinical placements. The interprofessional virtual patient may assist faculty and clinical supervisors to plan interprofessional learning activities. The virtual patient could be used in groups of students from different healthcare professions or groups of only one profession. It could also be used face-to-face or online remotely.

List of scientific papers

I. Tran C, Kaila P, Salminen H. Conditions for interprofessional education for students in primary healthcare – a qualitative study. BMC Medical Education. 2018;18(1).
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-018-1245-8

II. Tran C, Toth-Pal E, Ekblad S, Fors U, Salminen H. A virtual patient model for students’ interprofessional learning in primary healthcare. PLosONE. 2020;15(9).
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0238797

III. Tran C, Toth-Pal E, Ekblad S, Fors U, Salminen H. Medical students’ learning about other professions using an interprofessional virtual patient while remotely connected with a study group: Mixed methods study. JMIR Med Educ. 2023;9.
https://doi.org/10.2196/38599