Interprofessional practices and readiness for interprofessional learning among health students and graduates in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil: a cross-sectional study

This paper reports on a cross-sectional study performed with 370 students and graduates from 15 undergraduate health courses in a public university in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The objective was to identify interprofessional education (IPE) curricular experiences and to evaluate the readiness for IPE among students and graduates who have attended a practical experience of IPE (Integrative Module) compared with undergraduate students who did not. The dimensionality and reliability of the Portuguese-validated expanded version of the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) with 40-items were also evaluated. This version of RIPLS was validated with 32 items. Cronbach's alpha values of the three factors of the scale were: Factor 1 alpha = 0.89, Factor 2 alpha = 0.47 and Factor 3 alpha = 0.83. IPE initiatives were identified in the undergraduate curricula mainly in the practical experience (Integrative Module) (47.5%), curricular placements (29.8%) and extracurricular activities (29.5%). Students and graduates who participated in the Integrative Module demonstrated greater readiness for IPE than students who did not attend. This study suggested that shared experiences among different undergraduate courses are associated with positive attitudes and greater availability of students and graduates for interprofessional learning and work. Future studies including the psychometric analysis of the Portuguese-validated expanded RIPLS are recommended.