Authors:
Cerbin-Koczorowska Magdalena,Zielinska-Tomczak Lucja,Waszyk-Nowaczyk Magdalena,Michalak Michal, Skowron Agnieszka
Title:
As the twig is bent, so is the tree inclined: a survey of student attitudes toward interprofessional collaboration supported with the curricula analysis
Abstract:
Pharmaceutical care was legally introduced as an interprofessional service in Poland in 2009. However, a collaboration between physicians and pharmacists remains incidental. Proper education at the undergraduate level is necessary to shape the attitudes of students toward establishing interprofessional relations. The aim of the study was to assess the perception of physician-pharmacist collaboration among final-year medical and pharmacy students through questionnaires with both closed-ended and open-ended questions. The study also includes an analysis of medicine and pharmacy curricula in terms of promoting interprofessional collaboration between the two fields. The statistical analysis of data obtained from 502 respondents revealed significant differences between the perceived areas for such collaboration. Moreover, the division of roles and responsibilities during the pharmacotherapy process between both professions seems to be unclear. Importantly, only 10.14% of the respondents evaluated these professional relations as ‘good’ or ‘very good’. Also, 66.87% of the students emphasized the importance of educational interventions to improve interprofessional collaboration between pharmacists and physicians. Although 70% of medical and 87% of pharmacy students wish to establish such collaboration in the future, only 15% and 35%, respectively feel adequately prepared for the task. Understanding similarities and differences in this field appears to be the key to designing effective educational solutions for promoting interprofessional attitudes among healthcare undergraduates.
Journal:
Journal of Interprofessional Care
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1080/13561820.2019.1572598
Authors:
Łucja Zielińska-Tomczak, Magdalena Cerbin-Koczorowska, Piotr Przymuszała, Ryszard Marciniak
Title:
How to effectively promote interprofessional collaboration? - a qualitative study on physicians' and pharmacists' perspectives driven by the theory of planned behavior
Abstract:
Background: Ajzen's theory of planned behavior (TPB) postulates that individuals' behavioral intention is influenced by their attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. Therefore, it can be used to broaden the understanding of particular behaviors, including healthcare workers' professional activities.
Methods: In this study, we used TPB as a theoretical framework to evaluate semi-structured interviews with pharmacists and physicians to build an understanding of the interprofessional collaboration between them. Sixteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with pharmacists and eleven with physicians. The sample of participants comprised a diverse group with varying work experience and workplaces. Data were analyzed independently by two researchers following the thematic analysis method using ATLAS.ti software. Data saturation was set in the absence of new issues arising during the interviews.
Results: The content analysis allowed for the determination of six main themes: the relationship between previous experiences and attitudes towards collaboration, pharmacist's role in collaboration, mutual reluctance toward collaboration, the role of decision- and policy-makers, knowledge and qualifications gaps regarding collaboration, and lack of organizational paths.
Conclusions: Despite both physicians and pharmacists displaying positive attitudes towards collaboration may foster their intention to establish a professional partnership, subjective norms (e.g., the lack of appropriate legal regulations) and perceived behavioral control (physicians' lack of awareness about pharmacists' qualifications and the low level of interpersonal skills) might impede the process.
Journal:
BMC Health Services Research
DOI:
https://bmchealthservres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12913-021-06903-5
Authors:
Łucja Zielińska-Tomczak, Magdalena Cerbin-Koczorowska, Piotr Przymuszała, Natalia Gałązka, Ryszard Marciniak
Title:
Pharmacists’ Perspectives on Interprofessional Collaboration with Physicians in Poland: A Quantitative Study
Abstract:
Over the years, many studies have emphasized the pharmacist’s importance as part of the patient care team. Still, the interprofessional collaboration between physicians and pharmacists in their everyday work seems rare. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the types of contact between them, possible mutual collaboration, and barriers to implementation. This study was conducted from April to August 2020. The study group included licensed pharmacists working in community pharmacies in Poland (n = 207). The results show that, according to the respondents, physician–pharmacist contact mainly concerns formal aspects, such as correcting prescription errors. They occasionally communicate for other matters, such as consultation regarding drug availability and drug dosage. However, when asked to divide responsibilities between them and physicians, pharmacists indicate areas that should involve interprofessional collaboration, e.g., monitoring adverse drug reactions, analysis of multi-drug therapy, and checking the regularity of taking medications. They indicated the lack of specific collaboration rules, limited willingness to establish relationships and low mutual respect and trust among existing barriers. It is worth considering the possibility of overcoming these barriers provided by interprofessional education in order to develop communication skills and build relationships based on respect.
Journal:
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18189686
Authors:
Piotr Przymuszała, Jagoda Szmelter, Łucja Zielińska‑Tomczak, Magdalena Cerbin‑Koczorowska, Ryszard Marciniak
Title:
Future physicians’ behavioral intentions towards collaborative practice ‑ a qualitative study on polish final‑year medical students guided by the theory of planned behavior
Abstract:
Background Interprofessional collaboration constitutes a vital part of modern patient care, and many of its benefits for patients, medical staff, and the healthcare system have been described. However, little is known about factors influencing medical students’ intentions to work in a collaborative practice after graduation. Therefore, with the theory of planned behavior by Ajzen as a framework, this study aimed to evaluate their intentions and identify factors that influence their attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control.
Methods For this purpose, eighteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with medical students following a thematic guide developed according to the theory. They were thematically analyzed by two independent researchers.
Results The results showed that their attitudes contained positive (better patient care, comfort and safety of work, learning and development opportunities) and negative examples like the fear of conflicts, losing authority and mistreatment. Sources of social pressure regarding the behavior (subjective norms) involved their peers, other physicians, representatives of other medical professions, patients, and managing bodies. Finally, perceived behavioral control
included limited occasions for contacts and interprofessional learning during the studies, existing stereotypes and prejudices, legal regulations and systemic solutions, organizational aspects, and existing relations at the ward.
Conclusions Analysis showed that Polish medical students generally seem to hold positive views on interprofessional collaboration and feel positive social pressure to get involved in interprofessional teams. However, factors listed in perceived behavioral control may act as barriers in the process.
Journal:
BMC Medical Education
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-023-04136-0
Authors:
Piotr Przymuszała, Sandra Fabianowska, Łucja Zielińska‑Tomczak, Magdalena Cerbin‑Koczorowska, Ryszard Marciniak
Title:
Factors influencing behavioral intentions of graduating pharmacy students regarding interprofessional collaboration – a theory-driven qualitative study
Abstract:
Background Interprofessional collaboration enhances the use of competencies of different medical team members. Additionally, pharmacists’ involvement in patient care has been shown to improve their outcomes and seems particularly valuable in chronic diseases. Therefore, due to the aging of society and the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases, efforts are needed to involve pharmacists more broadly in patient care. However, there is a limited understanding of what factors could influence their willingness to participate in an interprofessional care team, especially among pharmacy students only entering the profession. This study aimed to fill these knowledge gaps by exploring graduating pharmacy students’ intentions in this regard guided by the theory of planned behavior.
Methods We conducted seventeen semi-structured interviews with graduating pharmacy students of Poznan University of Medical Sciences, which were then thematically analyzed by two researchers.
Results Positive attitudes of respondents, who mentioned the possibility of acquiring new knowledge, skills, and competencies, increased prestige and appreciation of the pharmacist’s profession, a better quality of patient care, and the support and relief offered to other team members as a result of collaboration, seem to strengthen their intentions. However, they also expressed their worries about potential errors and knowledge gaps, which constituted an example of some existing negative feelings. The identified sources of generally mixed social pressure toward the behavior included other pharmacists and pharmacy students, physicians, patients, their relatives and friends, and the decision and policymakers. Finally, their intentions may also be weakened by the mentioned perceived behavioral control aspects, like their level of pharmaceutical and clinical knowledge, skills, and experience, their knowledge of representatives of other professions and collaboration, the atmosphere at their future place of work, co-workers’ potential reluctance to collaborate with them, finding time for collaboration, the existence of incentives and gratification system, and existing legal regulations.
Conclusions The attitudes of graduating pharmacy students toward interprofessional collaboration seem mostly positive, but their intentions might be weakened by the mixed sense of social pressure and factors decreasing their perceived behavioral control.
Journal:
BMC Health Services Research
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-023-10224-0