Faculty Perceptions of Using Interprofessional Education to Prepare Doctor of Physical Therapy Students for the Workforce
Date of Conferral
11-3-2023
Degree
Ph.D.
School
Education
Advisor
Heather Pederson
Abstract
Interprofessional collaboration (IPC) between health professionals of various disciplines aims to improve patient care by optimizing patient outcomes and employee enthusiasm for their jobs. Interprofessional education (IPE) is the pedagogical approach to teaching IPC. There is an expectation that physical therapy (PT) instructors will adopt and teach this approach, but research on faculty attitudes in Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) programs is limited. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore how PT faculty perceive IPE as a pedagogical approach for preparing DPT students for the workforce. In this study, the constructs of Rogers’s diffusion of innovations theory were used to guide the exploration of faculty attitudes toward IPE. Purposeful sampling was used to collect qualitative data from interviews of 13 PTs who taught for a single university in DPT programs on four different campuses across the United States. Data were analyzed using emergent coding and thematic analysis. The key findings were that DPT faculty identified IPE as a valuable pedagogical approach for preparing DPT students for the workforce, but it was challenging to develop, implement, and assess. PT faculty perceived the adoption and sustainability of IPE as dependent on incorporating key facilitators. This study may impact positive social change by informing policymakers, administrators, and DPT program curriculum developers on supporting faculty and curricula development in IPE. Advancement of IPE in these institutions may help students learn skills such as communication and teamwork during their graduate education so they enter the workforce ready to work collaboratively and facilitate positive changes to the current health care systems.
Recommended Citation
Hanover, Marianne, "Faculty Perceptions of Using Interprofessional Education to Prepare Doctor of Physical Therapy Students for the Workforce" (2023). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 15076.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/15076
