Action research to foster knowledge and understanding of medical and health sciences students about patient safety in a climate of interprofessional education

Abstract Background Interprofessional education (IPE) plays an elementary role in improving healthcare outcomes by shared understanding and by reducing errors and adverse events. Unfortunately, most medical and health professionals have not received training for patient safety in an interprofessional setting, which can meet the needs of healthcare systems. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of an IPE-based workshop in fostering the knowledge and understanding of senior medical and health sciences students about patient safety at the University of Sharjah in UAE. Methods Using a random sampling technique, we recruited students from College of Medicine (CoM), College of Pharmacy (CoP), College of Dental Medicine (CDM), and College of Health Sciences (CHS). The online synchronous real-time workshop included interactive resource sessions, breakout room discussions using real clinical cases, and pre-post surveys using a questionnaire with three domains of patient safety; medical professionalism, leadership in healthcare, and precision medicine. Results A total of 248 students and 20 facilitators participated in the workshop. CoM had the highest representation (47.5%), followed by CoP (36.5%), CHS (13.3%), and CDM (2.7%). There was statistically improved understanding in all domains of patient safety across all colleges ( p < 0.001). Notably, students in years four and five from CoM and CoP showed significant improvement in their perceptions than other colleges ( p < 0.001). The participants encountered challenges of weak internet connections, software issues, technical failures, and power outages during the workshop Conclusion This study highlights a positive impact of the IPE-based interventional workshop on the students' knowledge of patient safety. This underscores the paramount role of IPE in improving perceptions and approaches towards patient safety in the context of healthcare education.