Measuring Veterinarian Professions’ Readiness for Interprofessional Learning in a Pre- and Post-Intervention Study

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Interprofessional learning is increasingly important across all health care sectors, including veterinary medicine.

Communication with animal owners and within the team is considered a core competency.

As communication courses have been offered mostly on a voluntary basis, we conducted an interprofessional learning course for veterinary practice professions in this study with the aim of integrating such a course in the curriculum in the long term.

We measured the readiness using the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale before and after the course.

While few significant changes emerged in the pre- and post-test comparison, more notable differences were observed in the evaluation of the 19 statements among different professions.

ABSTRACT: The integration of interprofessional collaboration is becoming increasingly crucial in veterinary care settings, emphasising the need for interprofessional education (IPE) in veterinary programmes.

This study explores the readiness for interprofessional learning among German veterinary students, apprentices and related occupations before and after an interprofessional communication course.

It assesses the impact of this course on the participants’ attitudes using the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS).

The course, offered in two iterations, combined asynchronous online modules, live seminars and practical training elements.

The RIPLS was administered before and after the course to gauge attitude shifts towards interprofessional learning.

Statistical analyses, including McNemar, Cohen’s Kappa and exact Fisher tests, were employed to compare pre- and post-test responses.

Despite challenges in participant linking, significant findings emerged between the student and apprentice groups in specific areas of the RIPLS, notably in the “Professional Identity” subscale post-course.

However, correlations between face-to-face contact and RIPLS ratings were not observed, suggesting a need for more integrated interprofessional learning experiences.

While some limitations in sample size and profession distribution hinder generalisability, this study indicates a high receptiveness to interprofessional learning in veterinary education, emphasising the potential for attitude changes with more interactive participation and programme adjustments.