Researchers in Lebanon tested whether a special training program could help health profession students work better together. They brought together pharmacy, nutrition, and biomedical science students for a full day of classes and case studies focused on teamwork. Before and after the training, students answered questions about their teamwork abilities and how well they could communicate and solve problems. The results showed that students significantly improved their teamwork skills, communication abilities, and confidence in working with other health professionals. This suggests that bringing different types of health students together for focused training can help them develop the collaboration skills they’ll need when treating patients in real hospitals and clinics.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: Whether a one-day training program where different health profession students learn together can improve their ability to work as a team and communicate effectively.
  • Who participated: 154 health profession students from Lebanon, mostly pharmacy students (about two-thirds), with some nutrition and biomedical science students. Students answered surveys before and after the training.
  • Key finding: Students’ teamwork skills improved by about 12% after the training, and their communication and collaboration abilities jumped by about 20%. All improvements were statistically significant, meaning they were real and not due to chance.
  • What it means for you: If you’re a health profession student, learning alongside students from other health fields may help you become a better team member and communicator. However, this was one training session, so it’s unclear how long these improvements last in real-world practice.

The Research Details

This study used a quasi-experimental design, which means researchers tested a training program but didn’t randomly assign students to different groups. Instead, they measured students’ teamwork abilities before the training and again after it. The training was a full day of classes and real-world case studies where students from pharmacy, nutrition, and biomedical sciences worked together. Students completed two validated questionnaires—one measuring their attitudes about teamwork and another measuring their actual collaboration skills. The researchers then used statistical tests to see if scores improved from before to after the training.

This research approach is important because it shows real-world results from an actual training program that schools could implement. By measuring students before and after, researchers could see if the training actually changed how students think about teamwork and their ability to collaborate. The use of validated questionnaires means the measurements were reliable and have been tested in other studies.

The study had a good response rate (85% of students completed the follow-up survey), which means the results are likely representative. The researchers used established, validated tools to measure outcomes, which increases reliability. However, because this wasn’t a randomized controlled trial, we can’t be completely certain the improvements were only due to the training—other factors might have contributed. The study was conducted in Lebanon, so results may differ in other countries with different healthcare systems.

What the Results Show

Students’ attitudes about teamwork improved significantly after the training. Their teamwork perception score increased from about 41 points to about 46 points out of a possible scale (a statistically significant improvement, p < 0.001). Even more impressive, their actual collaboration and communication skills jumped from about 73 points to about 88 points (also p < 0.001). This means students not only felt better about teamwork but also reported having better communication, conflict resolution, and team functioning abilities. The biggest improvements were in communication skills (up 4 points), conflict resolution (up 3 points), and overall team functioning (up 2 points).

Interestingly, nutrition students showed greater improvements than pharmacy students in both teamwork attitudes and collaboration skills. Students who had previous experience with interprofessional education (learning with other health professions) showed bigger improvements than those without prior experience. However, students who were already working in clinical settings showed smaller improvements in teamwork attitudes, possibly because they already had some real-world experience.

This research aligns with previous studies showing that when health profession students learn together, they develop better teamwork and communication skills. The magnitude of improvement (about 12-20%) is consistent with other interprofessional education programs reported in the literature. This adds to growing evidence that bringing different health professionals together for training is beneficial.

The study only measured students’ self-reported abilities, not their actual performance in real clinical settings. We don’t know if these improvements lasted beyond the training day or if students actually used these skills when treating patients. The study was conducted in Lebanon with mostly pharmacy students, so results may not apply to other countries or programs with different student populations. Without a control group that didn’t receive training, we can’t be completely certain the improvements were only from the training program.

The Bottom Line

Health profession schools should consider implementing interprofessional education programs where students from different fields learn together. This appears to be an effective way to build teamwork and communication skills. The evidence is moderately strong (based on this single study with good methodology), so schools can implement this with reasonable confidence. However, programs should also measure whether these skills transfer to actual patient care.

Health profession students (pharmacy, nursing, nutrition, biomedical sciences, etc.) should care about this because it shows a practical way to improve their teamwork abilities. Healthcare educators and administrators should care because it provides evidence for implementing interprofessional programs. Patients should care because better teamwork among their healthcare providers may lead to better care. This may be less relevant for students already working full-time in clinical settings, as they showed smaller improvements.

Students showed improvements immediately after the one-day training. However, it’s unclear how long these improvements last. Realistically, students might need refresher training or ongoing interprofessional experiences to maintain and build on these skills. Real-world benefits in patient care would likely take weeks to months to become apparent.

Want to Apply This Research?

  • If you’re a health profession student, track your teamwork experiences weekly by rating (1-10) how well you communicated with classmates from other health fields, how effectively you resolved disagreements, and how well your study group functioned together.
  • Actively seek out opportunities to study or work on projects with students from different health professions. When conflicts arise in group work, practice the conflict resolution skills learned in interprofessional training by listening to others’ perspectives and finding common ground.
  • Monthly, reflect on specific examples of how you’ve applied teamwork and communication skills learned in interprofessional training. Document improvements in your ability to understand other health professionals’ roles and how you’ve contributed to better team functioning in academic or clinical settings.

This research shows that a one-day interprofessional training program improved students’ self-reported teamwork and communication abilities. However, this study measured only students’ perceptions and self-reported skills, not their actual performance in real patient care settings. Results are from a single program in Lebanon and may not apply to all healthcare settings or countries. Students and educators should not rely solely on this training for developing clinical teamwork skills—ongoing practice and mentorship in real healthcare environments are essential. Anyone considering implementing similar programs should consult with healthcare education experts and evaluate outcomes specific to their institution.