It is well-established that interprofessional education is crucial in preparing a collaborative, practice-ready health workforce. While evidence supports interprofessional practice's (IPP) benefits, research concerning the facilitation and outcomes of IPP experiences for students remains limited (van Diggele et al., 2020), especially regarding student-led services across different life spans. This study examines two placements: one supporting children with developmental delays and their families and another working with people with chronic conditions in a disadvantaged community, to understand final-year Allied Health students' IPP comprehension and execution.
Employing a mixed-method design, the study utilizes the Interprofessional Socialisation Values Scale (ISVS) the Student Perceptions of Interprofessional Clinical Education-Revised Instrument (SPICE-R2) measures alongside semi-structured interviews to gauge students' perceptions and experiences in two student-led IPP clinics. Data were collected from Speech Pathology (SP) and Occupational Therapy (OT) students in a university-based, paediatric clinic (Health2Go) and from mostly final-year OT, Physiotherapy, Dietetic and Exercise Physiology students in a community-based, chronic conditions assessment clinic (CONNECT). This presentation reports on the thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews undertaken until there was no new information to gauge students' perceptions and experiences in these two student-led IPP clinics. Qualitative data was collected from students from five disciplines who were on placement between May-November 2023 (181 weeks of placement).
Findings from the quantitative analysis showed significant improvements in students' IPP beliefs, attitudes, and behaviours (p=0.002 and p<0.001). Thematic analysis of nine interviews reveals two key overarching themes contributing to these outcomes: relational teaching and deep IPP learning. These resulted in students learning sophisticated professional (and interprofessional) skills and understanding holistic care.
Discussion Unpacking Allied Health students’ experience of the processes and pedagogy that underpin successful IPP application across diverse student-led, practice-based placements, allows us to build practices that will enhance care and connection in their future practice.

van Diggele, C., Roberts, C., Burgess, A. et al. Interprofessional education: tips for design and implementation. BMC Med Educ 20 (Suppl 2), 455 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-020-02286-z