Attitudes of Physician Assistant Educators Toward Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Care

PURPOSE: Interprofessional education (IPE) has been shown to improve collaboration in the workforce, ultimately improving patient care. The purpose of this study was to evaluate physician assistant (PA) educators' attitudes toward IPE and interprofessional (IP) health care teams.

METHODS: An online survey was sent to 1198 PA educators. The survey assessed 3 domains: attitudes toward IPE, attitudes toward IP health care teams, and attitudes toward IP learning in the academic setting.

RESULTS: Most participants were involved in some form of IPE. Faculty attitudes were positive in all 3 domains but were more favorable toward IPE.

CONCLUSIONS: The positive attitudes held by PA faculty members may change the way in which curricula are conceived and delivered, influencing IP collaboration of future health care providers.