Health Professional Students' Perceptions and Preparedness for Interprofessional Education: A Multicentric Analysis Across Five Countries

Thani Alsharari¹Osama Khattak²Anshoo Agarwal³Farooq Ahmad Chaudhary⁴Nida Suhail⁵Gulam Begum⁶Geetha Subramaniam⁷Hathal Albagami⁸Mohammed Fareed Felemban⁹Hassan Talat Shawli¹Fahad Saeed Algahtani¹Muhammad Amber Fareed^10*

• ¹Department of Restorative Dental Science, Faculty of Dentistry, Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia
• ²Department of Restorative Dentistry, Jouf University, Sakaka, Saudi Arabia
• ³Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Northern Border University, Arar, Saudi Arabia
• ⁴School of Dentistry, Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University, Islamabad, Pakistan
• ⁵Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Northern Border University, Arar, Saudi Arabia
• ⁶Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Suhar Campus, National University, Muscat, Oman
• ⁷Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, INTI International University, Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia
• ⁸Department of Restorative Dental Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, Taibah University, Madinah, Saudi Arabia
• ⁹Department of Maxillofacial Surgery and Diagnostic Science, Faculty of Dentistry, Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia
• ¹⁰Clinical Sciences Department, College of Dentistry, Ajman University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates

Introduction: Interprofessional education (IPE) prepares health professional students for teamwork in clinical practice. The success of IPE depends on students' readiness and acceptance of interprofessional learning. This study aimed to assess the perceptions and readiness for IPE among health professional students across universities in five countries, using the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS).: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among 335 students from health professional programs at universities in Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Nepal, India, and Pakistan. The Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) questionnaire was used to collect data prior to any structured workshop activities, and results represent baseline perceptions of IPE. Responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics, pairedsamples t-tests, and analysis of variance (ANOVA) to compare groups.The study found significant differences (p < 0.001) in IPE readiness between students from different countries and academic years. Students from Malaysia, India, and Pakistan demonstrated higher readiness for IPE, with senior students showing greater readiness compared to juniors. The mean readiness score for teamwork and collaboration was 4.2 (SD = 0.7) in Malaysia, while students in Nepal had the lowest mean score of 3.2 (SD = 1.5). Overall, senior students exhibited higher readiness for teamwork and collaboration (mean = 4.3, SD = 0.4) compared to first-year students (mean = 3.6, SD = 1.9).The findings underscore the need for targeted IPE initiatives that are adapted to different academic levels and contexts. Integrating IPE early in healthcare curricula is critical for enhancing collaborative skills and improving patient outcomes. These results have important