Implementation and outcomes of interprofessional education programme among health care students and practitioners in Ghana

Abstract Background: Interprofessional education (IPE) fosters health care collaboration and improves health outcomes for patients. IPE can be implemented at all training levels, including pre-service trainees, post-licensure interns and practicing health professionals. IPE especially among pre-service health students is novel in Ghana. We describe the implementation and outcomes of an IPE training in HIV care for health students and practitioners in Ghana. Methods: A pre- and post-training survey was conducted among health students and practitioners who participated in a two-day interactive IPE training in HIV care. Differences in pre- and post-test median scores were compared using the Wilcoxon signed-rank and Kruskal-Wallis tests. P£0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Altogether, 911 health students and professionals were trained, of whom 833 and 728 completed the pre- and post-test training surveys respectively. They comprised, pre-service health students (59.1%), house officers and interns (27.9%) and health practitioners (13.1%). The overall median scores improved significantly from 245 (pre-test) to 265 (post-test) (p<0.001), as were the median scores for each module (p<0.001). The pre- and post-test median scores were significantly different across the professional categories (p<0.001), but did not differ significantly across training levels (p=0.13). The confidence level in carrying out specific module related activities nearly doubled after the training. Almost all the participants were satisfied with the training (>92%) and with the emphasis on interprofessional collaboration (>98%) and quality improvement (>97%). Conclusion: IPE improves health students’ and practitioners’ knowledge and competencies in HIV management. IPE should be incorporated into the pre-service curricula of health students and continuing professional education of health practitioners.