Interprofessional Academic Service-Learning in Rural Australia: Exploring the impact on allied health student knowledge, skills, and practice. A qualitative study.

In 2009, health, health education, and school education agencies in rural NSW, Australia, partnered with a metropolitan university to develop an interprofessional service-learning program. The program aimed to address unmet allied health needs of regional school children. Speech pathology and occupational therapy student placements were aligned to enable the provision of interprofessional student services. Despite program longevity, no formal research had been undertaken on cross-sector program impacts and outcomes. This pragmatic qualitative study explored the perspectives of multiple-program stakeholders, school principals, and senior managers from facilitating agencies, speech pathology and occupational therapy students and allied health academics. The study aimed to gain a holistic understanding of program impact and outcomes from multi-dimensional perspectives. This paper focuses on student and academic findings associated with interprofessional education and practice. Students participated in interprofessional focus groups. Academics participated in semi-structured individual interviews. Data were analysed using a constant comparative method; broad codes were developed and collapsed into three key themes: previous interprofessional practice exposure, program supervision model, and interprofessional practice impacts. Findings suggest that: 1) students had experienced either no previous interprofessional practice exposure, or exposure that effectively enhanced student understanding of teamwork practice; 2) student participation in the program enhanced continuity of care through the ‘team continuum’ and capacity to practice interprofessionally. Lessons learnt from this rural program have influenced the practice of a metropolitan university. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]