Practice Changes of Health Care Practitioners: Posttraining Impact of an Interprofessional Education Program

Abstract

This qualitative study examined practice changes of health care practitioners 6 months after attending a multiday continuing professional development program. Practitioners in nine professions were trained in Parkinson’s disease treatment and interprofessional team practice. Thematic analysis of practitioners’ narrative responses identified themes and subthemes of changes in work with patients/families and interprofessional teams. The analysis distinguished knowledge, attitude, and behavior changes. A range of clinically meaningful practice changes, the majority at behavior levels, emerged from a diverse sample. Patient-centered approaches increased, as did interprofessional teamwork, collaboration and movement toward more coordinated, integrated care. Future research should include verifying observational data and assess longer posttraining time periods.