Live Standardized Patient Scenario Improves Attitudes Toward and Readiness for Interprofessional Education in Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy Students.

Objective: This study examined the impact of video-based and live standardized patient scenarios on attitudes toward and readiness for interprofessional education (IPE) in occupational therapy (OT) and physical therapy (PT) students. In academic health programs, IPE is used to teach the knowledge and skills to develop interprofessional teamwork abilities; however, research is limited on the impact of standardized patient scenario experiences (SPSE) on the effectiveness of IPE in OT and PT students.

Methods: The study involved 49 participants: 23 OT and 26 PT students. Methods: A descriptive quantitative pilot study measured attitudes and readiness for IPE using a repeated-measures design and the Readiness for Inter-Professional Learning Scale (RIPLS), a 19-item Likert scale. Students completed the RIPLS prior to an interprofessional team assignment, following an interprofessional team meeting to plan the standardized patient evaluation, and after a live SPSE. A 3 x 2 repeated-measures MANOVA analyses was used to determine differences between groups and change over time.

Results: Statistically significant changes occurred in Teamwork and Professional Identify subscales of the RIPLS for both groups after the live SPSE.

Conclusions: Findings support the use of team-based, live SPSE to improve OT and PT students' readiness for and attitudes toward IPE.