OVERVIEW OF THE COMPETENCE OF UDAYANA UNIVERSITY MEDICAL STUDENTS IN IMPLEMENTING INTERPROFESSIONAL COLLABORATION (IPC)

Abstract

Interprofessional Collaboration (IPC) plays a critical role in improving the quality, effectiveness, and safety of healthcare services through teamwork among various healthcare professionals. To facilitate students in acquiring collaborative practice competencies, Interprofessional Education (IPE) has been implemented during undergraduate medical training. This study aimed to describe the level of IPC competence among medical students at Udayana University after participating in the IPE program. A descriptive observational study with a cross-sectional approach was conducted involving 83 undergraduate medical students from the 2022 cohort who had completed IPE. Data were collected using the Interprofessional Collaborative Competencies Attainment Survey (ICCAS), covering six domains: communication, collaboration, roles and responsibilities, patient/family-centered approach, conflict management, and team functioning. Data analysis included descriptive statistics and normality testing using the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test. Results showed that all IPC competency domains were not normally distributed (p < 0.05), and classification was based on the median of each variable. The majority of students demonstrated low competency across all IPC domains. These findings indicate that despite the positive impact of IPE on some students, overall IPC competencies remain suboptimal. Continuous and innovative IPE strategies are recommended to strengthen students’ readiness for interprofessional collaboration in clinical practice.