METHOD: An explanatory mixed method research design was carried out on first year medical students at a private university in Malaysia. In Phase I, a survey was conducted to explore the effectiveness of jigsaw learning. Descriptive and inferential statistics were calculated using SPSS. In Phase II, a focus group interview was conducted to explore their in-depth experiences. Qualitative data were thematically analysed.
RESULTS: Fifty-seven students participated in the survey and seven students took part in the focus group interview. Quantitative data analysis showed a statistically significant improvement in the student's individual accountability, promotive interaction, positive interdependence, interpersonal skill, communication skill, teamwork skill, critical thinking and consensus building after jigsaw learning sessions. Qualitative data explained their experiences in-depth.
CONCLUSION: Jigsaw cooperative learning improves collaboration, communication, cooperation and critical thinking among the undergraduate medical students. Educators should use jigsaw learning methods to encourage effective collaboration and team working. Future studies should explore the effectiveness of the jigsaw cooperative learning technique in promoting interprofessional collaboration in the workplace.
Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted between January and March 2018 at the International Islamic University Malaysia, Kuantan, Malaysia. The Self-Efficacy for Interprofessional Experiential Learning scale was used to evaluate the self-efficacy of 336 students from five faculties including nursing, medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and allied health sciences.
Results: Significant differences in self-efficacy scores for the interprofessional interaction subscale were identified according to programme of study, with pharmacy students scoring significantly lower than allied health students (mean score: 54.1 ± 10.4 versus 57.4 ± 10.1; P = 0.014). In addition, there was a significant difference in self-efficacy scores for the interprofessional interaction subscale according to year of study, with first-year students scoring significantly lower compared to fifth-year students (mean score: 52.8 ± 10.4 versus 59.9 ± 11.9; P = 0.018). No statistically significant differences in self-efficacy scores were identified with regards to gender or for the interprofessional team evaluation and feedback subscale.
Conclusion: These findings may contribute to the effective implementation of IPL education in healthcare faculties. Acknowledging the influence of self-efficacy on the execution of IPL skills is crucial to ensure healthcare students are able to adequately prepare for future interprofessional collaboration in real clinical settings.
OBJECTIVE: To determine the validity and reliability of the PPCI for physicians in Malaysia.
SETTING: An urban tertiary hospital in Malaysia.
METHODS: This prospective study was conducted from June to August 2014. Doctors were grouped as either a "collaborator" or a "non-collaborator". Collaborators were doctors who regularly worked with one particular clinical pharmacist in their ward, while non-collaborators were doctors who interacted with any random pharmacist who answered the general pharmacy telephone line whenever they required assistance on medication-related enquiries, as they did not have a clinical pharmacist in their ward. Collaborators were firstly identified by the clinical pharmacist he/she worked with, then invited to participate in this study through email, as it was difficult to locate and approach them personally. Non-collaborators were sampled conveniently by approaching them in person as these doctors could be easily sampled from any wards without a clinical pharmacist. The PPCI for physicians was administered at baseline and 2 weeks later.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Validity (face validity, factor analysis and discriminative validity) and reliability (internal consistency and test-retest) of the PPCI for physicians.
RESULTS: A total of 116 doctors (18 collaborators and 98 non-collaborators) were recruited. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed that the PPCI for physicians was a 3-factor model. The correlation of the mean domain scores ranged from 0.711 to 0.787. "Collaborators" had significantly higher scores compared to "non-collaborators" (81.4 ± 10.1 vs. 69.3 ± 12.1, p < 0.001). The Cronbach alpha for the overall PPCI for physicians was 0.949, while the Cronbach alpha values for the individual domains ranged from 0.877 to 0.926. Kappa values at test-retest ranged from 0.553 to 0.752.
CONCLUSION: The PPCI for physicians was a valid and reliable measure in determining doctors' views about collaborative working relationship with pharmacists, in Malaysia.
METHODS: A research proposal writing format was created for the 4th year medical students of Melaka Manipal Medical College, Malaysia during their ophthalmology clinical postings. The students worked in small groups and developed research protocols through an evidence based approach. This was followed by writing reflective summaries in academic portfolios about the activity undertaken. A mixed methods study was designed to explore the possible role of collaborative research proposal writing in enhancing critical thinking and collaborative learning.
RESULTS: Analysis of reflections submitted by 188 medical students after the intervention indicate that majority of them found an improvement in their skills of critical thinking and collaborative learning as a result of research protocol writing. All participants agreed that the model helped in applying concepts to new situations in the form of designing their own study, which reflected in enhanced higher order cognitive skills.
CONCLUSION: This study shows that the introduction of a structured module in the core medical curriculum that focuses on research writing skills embedded with collaborative and reflective practices can enhance collaborative learning, critical thinking, and reasoning among medical students.
METHODS: The principal investigators of three birth cohorts in Asia including the Taiwan Birth Panel Study (TBPS), the Mothers and Children's Environmental Health Study (MOCEH), and the Hokkaido Study on Environment and Children' Health (Hokkaido Study) coestablished the Birth Cohort Consortium of Asia (BiCCA) in 2011. Through a series of five PI meetings, the enrolment criteria, aim of the consortium, and a first-phase inventory were confirmed.
RESULTS: To date, 23 birth cohorts have been established in 10 Asian countries, consisting of approximately 70,000 study subjects in the BiCCA. This article provides the study framework, environmental exposure and health outcome assessments, as well as maternal and infant characteristics of the participating cohorts.
CONCLUSIONS: The BiCCA provides a unique and reliable source of birth cohort information in Asian countries. Further scientific cooperation is ongoing to identify specific regional environmental threats and improve the health of children in Asia.
METHOD: This research is a quasi-experimental design with a pre-post without control research approach. The research population covers all students registered joining OTOF CIPIPEC at Poltekkes Kemenkes Surakarta with a total number of 1061 of students. The samples are collected using a total sampling technique. The samples for this research are those registered joining the OTOF CIPIPEC at Poltekkes Kemenkes Surakarta meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria with a total number of 1031 of students. This research utilizes the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) questionnaires as its measuring instruments. This study was conducted in Mojosongo sub-district, Jebres district, Surakarta. This research involves 38 Community Units (In Indonesia known as Rukun Warga/RW) with a total number of 1066 of family heads and the Sibela Community Health Center. The data are analyzed using the Wilcoxon test and multiple linear regression test.
RESULT OF THE STUDY: The research results showed that there is a significant difference of readiness improvement, teamwork, and perception on other professions and satisfaction of the research subjects before and after joining OTOF-CIPIPEC (ρ<0.001). The average improvement scores of students' readiness, teamwork, perception, and satisfaction are 63.2%, 62.5%, 62.57%, and 113.04% respectively. The results of the multivariate analysis show that teamwork and perception significantly influence the students' readiness in their collaboration with the other professions (ρ<0.001) with the influence value of 0.93%.
CONCLUSION: This research concludes that OTOF-CIPIPEC implementation may improve readiness, teamwork, and perception of other professions and students' satisfaction in interprofessional education (IPE).