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Abstract Background The mandatory interprofessional education programme at Gunma University was initiated in 1999. This paper is a statistical evaluation of the programme from 1999 to 2007. Methods A questionnaire of 10 items to assess the achievement levels of the programme, which was developed independently of other assessment systems published previously, was distributed, as well as two or three open-ended questions to be answered at the end of each annual module. A multivariate analysis of variance model was used, and the factor analysis of the responses was performed with varimax rotation. Results Over all, 1418 respondents of a possible 1629 students completed the survey, for a total response rate of 87.1%. Cronbach's alpha of 10 items was 0.793, revealing high internal consistency. Our original questionnaire was categorized into four subscales as follows: "Role and responsibilities", "Teamwork and collaboration", "Structure and function of training facilities", and "Professional identity". Students in the Department of Occupational Therapy reached a relatively lower level of achievement. In the replies to the open-ended questions, requests for the participation of the medical students were repeated throughout the evaluation period. Conclusion The present four subscales measure "understanding", and may take into account the development of interprofessional education programmes with clinical training in various facilities. The content and quality of clinical training subjects may be remarkably dependent on training facilities, suggesting the importance of full consultation mechanisms in the local network with the relevant educational institutes for medicine, health care and welfare.

Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) with a population of 6.8 million is a low middle-income country in Southeast Asia. Despite economic development, Lao PDR is still characterized by a weak health system. The Ministry of Health has launched health reforms to provide better health services and University of Health Sciences (UHS) plays an essential role in Human Resources for Health (HRH) reform. Especially, the importance of its role in training health professionals from entry-level to continuing education has been increased. In 2016, the UHS embedded an Interprofessional Education (IPE) concept into a pre-qualifying course, in collaboration with the World Health Organization and the Gunma University Centre for Research and Training on IPE. As a pilot study, some students from faculties of Medicine, Pharmacy, Dentistry, Nursing, and Medical Technology participated in a community-based IPE program. Results suggested that students participating in the IPE program showed more positive attitudes toward collaborative practice than students who did not participate in the IPE program. Based on the results, the UHS is planning to develop an IPE program for health workers. In this article, we describe the strategic international collaboration and discuss the keys to successful IPE planning and implementation in line with HRH reform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Dressing performance relates strongly with balance function, and it is mainly influenced by the motor functions of the affected and unaffected lower extremity and trunk function in stroke patients. For the remedial approach to be effective, ascertaining the degree of function needed in the affected and unaffected lower extremities and trunk to achieve balance function requisite for dressing is necessary. Objectives This study aimed to elucidate standards of lower extremity and trunk function necessary for stroke patients to gain balance requisite for dressing. Methods The study included 105 first-time stroke patients, who were classified by Berg Balance Score ≥44 or not and ≥32 or not which are previously reported standard indicators for independent and supervision level in dressing. Receiver operating characteristic curves were determined for the stroke impairment assessment item of sensory and motor function of affected lower extremity, abdominal muscle strength, and knee extension muscle strength. Results Area under the curve was ≥0.7 for all variables. In BBS 44-point analyses, the calculated cut-off values were 4 points for SIAS hip flexion, 4 points for SIAS knee extension, 2 points for SIAS foot pat on the affected side, 3 points for SIAS tactile and position sensation of the affected lower extremity, 3 points for SIAS abdominal muscle strength, and 3 points for SIAS knee extension muscle strength on the unaffected side. Conclusions These cut-off values can be used as targets for motor functions, when using the remedial approach for achieving dressing independence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to clarify the amount of balance necessary for the independence of transfer and stair-climbing in stroke patients. Method: This study included 111 stroke inpatients. Simple and multiple regression analyses were conducted to establish the association between the FIMVR instrument scores for transfer or stair-climbing and Berg Balance Scale. Furthermore, receiver operating characteristic curves were used to elucidate the amount of balance necessary for the independence of transfer and stair-climbing. Result: Simple and multiple regression analyses showed that the FIMVR instrument scores for transfer and stair-climbing were strongly associated with Berg Balance Scale. On comparison of the independent and supervision-dependent groups, Berg Balance Scale cut-off values for transfer and stair-climbing were 41/40 and 54/53 points, respectively. On comparison of the independent-supervision and dependent groups, the cut-off values for transfer and stair-climbing were 30/29 and 41/40 points, respectively. Conclusions: The calculated cut-off values indicated the amount of balance necessary for the independence of transfer and stair-climbing, with and without supervision, in stroke patients. Berg Balance Scale has a good discriminatory ability and cut-off values are clinically useful to determine the appropriate independence levels of transfer and stair-climbing in hospital wards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There have been few studies comparing the attitudes towards healthcare teams between different universities. This study analysed the differences in attitudes towards healthcare teams between health science students at Gunma University, Japan, which implements a comprehensive interprofessional education (IPE) programme, and Kanazawa University, a similar national university. Study populations were first- and third-year students at the Gunma University School of Health Sciences and the Kanazawa University School of Health Sciences. The present study was performed just after the IPE and multi-professional education subjects at Gunma University in the first term of the 2012 academic year. The first-year students were different cohort from the third-year students. The modified Attitudes Toward Health Care Teams Scale (ATHCTS) was used to measure attitudes towards healthcare teams. The overall mean score on the modified ATHCTS of students at Gunma University was significantly higher than that of those at Kanazawa University. In both first- and third-year students, the regression factor score of “patient-centred care” was significantly higher at Gunma University than at Kanazawa University. Based on the present study, it can be stated that IPE may foster the value of collaborative practice (CP) among health science students. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Previous reports indicated that various dysfunctions caused by stroke affect the level of independence in dressing. These dysfunctions can be hierarchical, and these effects on dressing performance can be complicated in stroke patients. However, there are no published reports focusing on the hierarchical structure of the relationships between the activities of daily living and balance function, motor and sensory functions of the affected lower limb, strength of the abdominal muscles and knee extension on the unaffected side, and visuospatial deficits. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the hierarchical and causal relationships between dressing performance and these dysfunctions in stroke patients. This retrospective study included 104 first-time stroke patients. The causal relationship between the dressing performance and age, time post stroke, balance function, motor and sensory functions of the affected lower limb, strength of the abdominal muscles and knee extension on the unaffected side, and visuospatial deficits were examined using path analysis. A hypothetical path model was created based on previous studies, and the goodness of fit between the data and model were verified. A modified path model was created that achieved an almost perfect fit to the data. Balance function and abdominal muscle strength have direct effects on dressing performance, with standardized direct effect estimates of 0.78 and 0.15, respectively. Age, motor and sensory functions of the affected lower limb, and strength of abdominal muscle and knee extension on the unaffected side have indirect effects on dressing by influencing balance function. Our results suggest that dressing performance depends strongly on balance function, and it is mainly influenced by the motor function of the affected lower limb. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mandatory interprofessional education (IPE) programme at Gunma University, Japan, was initiated in 1999. A questionnaire of 10 items to assess the students’ understanding of the IPE training programme has been distributed since then, and the factor analysis of the responses revealed that it was categorised into four subscales, i.e. “professional identity”, “structure and function of training facilities”, “teamwork and collaboration”, and “role and responsibilities”, and suggested that these may take into account the development of IPE programme with clinical training. The purpose of this study was to examine the professional identity acquisition process (PIAP) model in IPE using structural equation modelling (SEM). Overall, 1,581 respondents of a possible 1,809 students from the departments of nursing, laboratory sciences, physical therapy, and occupational therapy completed the questionnaire. The SEM technique was utilised to construct a PIAP model on the relationships among four factors. The original PIAP model showed that “professional identity” was predicted by two factors, namely “role and responsibilities” and “teamwork and collaboration”. These two factors were predicted by the factor “structure and function of training facilities”. The same structure was observed in nursing and physical therapy students’ PIAP models, but it was not completely the same in laboratory sciences and occupational therapy students’ PIAP models. A parallel but not isolated curriculum on expertise unique to the profession, which may help to understand their professional identity in combination with learning the collaboration, may be necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The interprofessional education (IPE) program at Gunma University, Maebashi, Japan, uses a lecture style for first-year students and a training style for third-year students. To investigate the comprehensive implications of IPE, the change pattern of attitudes toward health care teams was examined longitudinally in pre-qualified students. The modified Attitudes Toward Health Care Teams Scale (mATHCTS) was used. The overall mean score of the mATHCTS improved significantly after the training-style IPE in their third year. Two individual items in the factor 'quality of care delivery' decreased significantly during the first year. In contrast, two individual items in the factor 'patient-centered care' increased significantly during the third year. These changes over time were confirmed by analyses using regression factor scores. There are at least two independent attitudes toward collaborative practice (CP) or IPE in response to IPE interventions: the attitude toward 'value of IPE for health care providers' may response negatively to IPE in the early stages, and the attitude toward 'value of IPE for health care receivers' positively in the later stages. These findings suggest that the continuation of mandatory IPE, which must be designed on the basis of students' high expectations for IPE and CP on entry, may result in profound changes in attitudes amongst participating students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of effective interprofessional education (IPE) is high-quality patient-care delivery and attaining a high level of patient satisfaction in clinical settings. We aimed to examine if alumni who have studied in an IPE program at a pre-licensure stage maintain a positive attitude toward collaborative practice (CP) in the postgraduate clinical experience. This paper presents a cross-sectional descriptive study which employed the modified attitudes toward health care teams scale (ATHCTS) to examine the relationship between exposure to clinical practice and the attitudes toward interprofessional healthcare teams. Results indicated that the overall mean score of alumni was significantly lower than that of undergraduate students on the modified ATHCTS. Only 'team efficacy' had a significantly lower regression factor score in alumni than undergraduate students. Our findings suggest that changes in professional identity in a team may be due to contact with patients after graduation in the postgraduate clinical healthcare experience. The reduction of attitudes toward healthcare teams in the postgraduate clinical experience may be related to 'team efficacy'. We emphasize the need for in-service IPE for sustaining attitudes and providing a useful CP, which results in good clinical outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interprofessional education (IPE) program at Gunma University, Maebashi, Japan, implements a lecture style for the first-year students and a training style for the third-year students. Changes in the scores of modified Attitudes Toward Health Care Teams Scale (ATHCTS) and those of modified Readiness of health care students for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) at the beginning and the end of the term were evaluated in the 2008 academic year. Two hundred and eighty-five respondents of a possible 364 completed the survey. In both the scales, the overall mean scores declined significantly after the lecture-style learning in the first-year students, while the scores improved significantly after the training-style learning in the third-year students. Exploratory factor analysis revealed that the modified ATHCTS was composed of three subscales, and the modified RIPLS two subscales. Analyses using regression factor scores revealed that the scores of 'quality of care delivery' subscale in the modified ATHCTS and those of 'expertise' subscale in the modified RIPLS declined significantly in the first-year students. Consequently, IPE programs may be introduced early in the undergraduate curriculum to prevent stereotyped perceptions for IPE, and comprehensive IPE curricula may result in profound changes in attitudes among participating students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An interprofessional education (IPE) initiative was recently launched at the University of Health Sciences in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, a country located in southeast Asia. During the process of reviewing the current curriculum, it was realised that the university has been providing a kind of IPE programme for more than a decade. Medical, pharmacy, dentistry, and nursing students were participating together in a community education programme. After identifying the programme’s strengths and challenges, a 4-year plan for embedding the IPE concept into the programme was developed. The plan was divided into four phases—sharing the key concepts of IPE, designing the programme, organising the interprofessional programme committee, and evaluating the effectiveness of the programme. In this short article, we describe the process that led to the plan’s creation and the experiences from the first two phases already completed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monitoring of cerebral activity during long-term therapy such as occupational therapy is useful for the development of new protocols and assessments of the therapy. For clinical use, the authors tried to develop an examination by using a wearable Near infra-red Spectroscopy (NIRS) device with a neurocognitive task that is robust against repetition (habituation). The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Gunma University Graduate School. Participants were fourteen healthy university students. We used a WOT-100, ten channel wearable NIRS device. Each participant underwent three tasks (deceitful reverse rock paper scissors, Stroop test, animal Stroop test) on a zero day, one week after, two weeks after, and three weeks after. Then the integral values of the oxyhemoglobin during the task were calculated. Stroop task was the only task with minimum habituation especially in the right frontal lobes. We concluded that the Stroop task was the most favorable of the three at this time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]