Has “The Ceiling” Rendered the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) Outdated?

Abstract

Purpose The present study aimed to investigate the preliminary effects of collaborative learning and simulation on readiness to engage in and attitudes toward future interprofessional learning activities. We translated into Norwegian and validated the original Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) (part 1) to measure the efficacy and feasibility of a structured collaborative learning activity (part 2). Materials and Methods Undergraduate social and health care professional students from five Norwegian universities (n = 307) participated in the validation stage of this study (part 1). A Norwegian version of the RIPLS was developed using forward and backward translation. An expert panel discussed discrepancies between the translations and professional concepts. We planned to conduct a principal component analysis to evaluate the structure, reliability, and internal consistency of the Norwegian version of the RIPLS, after investigating the skewness, kurtosis, and range of items included. One hundred fifty students participated in collaborative learning activities; 72 (48%) of these individuals answered the translated RIPLS questionnaire. Results We found a substantial ceiling effect in the majority of items in the RIPLS, making it difficult to use the instrument as a measure of change. We evaluated the efficacy and feasibility of the collaborative activities based on the changes in the single items that had sufficient univariate normality and ultimately confirmed positive changes in two of these items. Conclusion Norwegian students appear ready for interprofessional learning; however, due to significant ceiling effects, the majority of items in the RIPLS no longer seem suitable for measuring and evaluating the effects of interprofessional learning (part 1). Single-item analysis revealed a potential effect of collaborative learning (part 2). A new questionnaire is needed where readiness is instead understood as self-efficacy in areas such as role awareness and interprofessional communication. Researchers should be aware that even previously validated questionnaires may lose their applicability over time and require revision. Demands for interprofessional learning and practice are continuously evolving, and evaluation methods should be adjusted accordingly.

Comparable outcomes between face-to-face and online deliveries of an introduction to IPE event for occupational therapy and physical therapy students

“…Students had an overall positive attitude toward IPE, even before the event. This is consistent with previous studies that describe minimal change on the RIPLS (Trojanowski 2021;Rose 2009;Turkelson 2018), with some studies suggesting students are already ready for interprofessional learning when they begin their professional programs, as demonstrated by a ceiling effect with the RIPLS (Torsvik 2021). Despite a lack of quantitative improvement in the Introduction to IPE learning activity, the students recognized that they have more learning to do in the IPE arena.…”

Increasing the value of Community-Based Education through Interprofessional Education

“…Schreiber et al (2014) also reported a slight increase and no statistically significant differences in the pre-post response to the RIPLS because the students already had positive attitudes toward IPE. Torsvik et al (2021) reported that RIPLS tends to have a ceiling effect. Therefore, RIPLS no longer seems suitable for measuring and evaluating the impact of interprofessional learning.…”

Does Interprofessional Scenario-Based Simulation Training Change Attitudes Towards Interprofessional Learning – A Pretest-Posttest Study

“…Studies on Norwegian health-care students’ attitudes towards interprofessional learning (IPL) are therefore scarce. 3 The Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) measures attitudes towards interprofessional shared learning. However, studies have shown inconsistency in the scale’s ability to measure change in attitudes in pretest-posttest studies.…”

“…However, studies have shown inconsistency in the scale’s ability to measure change in attitudes in pretest-posttest studies. 3–5 …”

“…However, studies have shown inconsistency in the scale's ability to measure change in attitudes in pretest-posttest studies. [3][4][5] Interprofessional education (IPE) takes place when two or more professions learn about, from and with each other to enable effective collaboration and improve attitudes and health outcomes. 6,7 Several studies have found that nursing students present more positive beliefs about teamwork and collaboration compared to medical students.…”