Evaluation of Interprofessional Identity and Attitudes of Family Medicine Residency Students

Year 2025, Volume: 2 Issue: 3, 80 - 85, 25.12.2025

Giray Kolcu

https://doi.org/10.62425/jmefm.1706568

Abstract

ABSTRACT
Objective: Collaboration among professional disciplines is essential for providing thorough patient-focused care in family medicine. This study sought to assess the interprofessional identities and perspectives of family medicine residents at Süleyman Demirel University in Turkey.
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted involving 61 participants from two residency programs: the Family Medicine Residency Program (FMRP) and the Contract Family Medicine Residency Program (CFMRP). The Extended Professional Identity Scale (EPIS-Tr), Dual Identity Scale (DIS-Tr), and Interprofessional Attitude Scale (IPAS-Tr) were used.
Results: The average age of the 61 participants was 31.62±6.56 years, with a sex distribution of 48% male and 52% female. FMRP residents were younger and had less work experience than CFMRP residents did. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups regarding the EPIS-Tr, DIS-Tr, or IPAS-Tr subscales. Correlation analysis revealed weak to moderate positive correlations between EPIS-Tr and DIS-Tr (r=.32, P=.037), EPIS-Tr and IPAS-Tr (r=.35, P=.021), and DIS-Tr and IPAS-Tr (r=.27, p=.026). All three scales exhibited excellent internal consistency, with Cronbach's α values exceeding .90.
Conclusion: The findings indicate that residents of family medicine possess favorable interprofessional identities and attitudes, underscoring the potential to enhance the quality of primary healthcare through collaborative efforts among professionals. To effectively implement interprofessional collaboration in family medicine, it is crucial to develop strategies that address both obstacles and enablers at the system, organizational, interpersonal, and individual levels.

Keywords

Family Medicine Residency , Interprofessional Collaboration , Interprofessional Identity , Dual Identity , Interprofessional Attitudes

Ethical Statement

Within the scope of the study, approval was obtained from the Süleyman Demirel University Ethics Committee with dates 05-11-2024 and 83/71.

Supporting Institution

The authors declare that they have no financial support for this study.

Thanks

We would like to thank Süleyman Demirel University for their support with our research.

References

• Windak A, Rochfort A, Jacquet J. The revised European Definition of General Practice/Family Medicine. A pivotal role of One Health, Planetary Health and Sustainable Development Goals. Eur J Gen Pract. 2024;30(1):2306936. doi:10.1080/13814788.2024.2306936
• Hong H, and Oh HJ. The Effects of Patient-Centered Communication: Exploring the Mediating Role of Trust in Healthcare Providers. Health Commun. 2020;35(4):502-511. doi:10.1080/10410236.2019.1570427
• Arenson C, Brandt BF. The Importance of Interprofessional Practice in Family Medicine Residency Education. Fam Med. 2021;53(7):548-555. http://journals.stfm.org/familymedicine/2021/july-august/arenson-2021-0223
• Karam M, Macq J, Duchesnes C, Crismer A, Belche JL. Interprofessional collaboration between general practitioners and primary care nurses in Belgium: a participatory action research. J Interprof Care. 2022;36(3):380-389. doi:10.1080/13561820.2021.1929878
• Schot E, Lars T, and Noordegraaf M. Working on working together. A systematic review on how healthcare professionals contribute to interprofessional collaboration. J Interprof Care. 2020;34(3):332-342. doi:10.1080/13561820.2019.1636007
• Meuwly MG, Pedrazzini B, Jaunin-Stalder N, Boulet MC. [Interprofessional collaboration in family medicine : Teaching through shadowing  : cross-views]. Rev Med Suisse. 2025;21(906):346-350. doi:10.53738/REVMED.2025.21.906.346
• Szafran O, Kennett SL, Bell NR, Torti JMI. Interprofessional collaboration in diabetes care: perceptions of family physicians practicing in or not in a primary health care team. BMC Fam Pract. 2019;20(1):44. doi:10.1186/s12875-019-0932-9
• Van Duin TS, de Carvalho Filho MA, Pype PF, et al. Junior doctors’ experiences with interprofessional collaboration: Wandering the landscape. Med Educ. 2022;56(4):418-431. doi:10.1111/medu.14711 Hager KD, Albee JN, O’Donnell C, et al. Impact of Interprofessional Care Conferences Across Primary Care and Mental Health Organizations on Family Medicine Resident Learning. Fam Med. 2021;53(4):289-294. doi:10.22454/FamMed.2021.329815
• Price D, Howard M, Hilts L, et al. Interprofessional education in academic family medicine teaching units: a functional program and culture. Can Fam Physician. 2009;55(9):901-905.
• Paré L, Maziade J, Pelletier F, Houle N, Iloko-Fundi M. Training in interprofessional collaboration: pedagogic innovation in family medicine units. Can Fam Physician. 2012;58(4):e203-9.
• Kolcu MIB, Karabilgin Ozturkcu OS, Kolcu G. Turkish adaptation of the interprofessional attitude scale (IPAS). J Interprof Care. 2022;36(5):684-690. doi:10.1080/13561820.2021.1971636
• Reinders JJ, Krijnen W. Interprofessional identity and motivation towards interprofessional collaboration. Med Educ. Published online April 2023. doi:10.1111/medu.15096
• Khalili H. Interprofessional Socialization and Dual Identity Development Amongst Cross-Disciplinary Students. 2013.
• Reinders JJ, Başer Kolcu Mİ, Kolcu G. Developing an interprofessional identity complementary to a professional identity - findings related to Extended Professional Identity Theory (EPIT). Front Med. 2024;11:1467362. doi:10.3389/fmed.2024.1467362
• Kolcu G, Başer Kolcu Mİ, Krijnen W, Reinders JJ. Turkish translation and validation of an interprofessional identity measure: EPIS-TR. J Interprof Care.:1-10. doi:10.1080/13561820.2024.2403012
• Khalili H, Orchard C, Laschinger HKS, Farah R. An interprofessional socialization framework for developing an interprofessional identity among health professions students. J Interprof Care. 2013;27(6):448-453. doi:10.3109/13561820.2013.804042
• Cronbach LJ. Coefficient alpha and the internal structure of tests. Psychometrika. 1951;16:297-334. doi:10.1007/BF02310555
• Kılıç S. Cronbachs Alpha Reliability Coefficient. J Mood Disord. 2016;6:1. doi:10.5455/jmood.20160307122823
• Reinders JJ, Nijeholt L à, M., Van Der Schans CP, Krijnen WP. The development and psychometric evaluation of an interprofessional identity measure: Extended Professional Identity Scale (EPIS). J Interprof Care. 2020;Online ahe:1-13.
• Asmara FY, Kristina TN, Versluis M, Scherpbier N, Reinders JJ. EPIS-RI: Indonesian translation, cultural adaptation and construct validation of an interprofessional identity measure. J Interprof Care. 2024;38(3):564-572. doi:10.1080/13561820.2024.2325689
• Pedersen TH, Cignacco E, Meuli J, Habermann F, Berger-Estilita J, Greif R. The german interprofessional attitudes scale: Translation, cultural adaptation, and validation. GMS J Med Educ. 2020;37(3):1-20. doi:10.3205/zma001325
• Violato E, King S. A case of validity evidence for the Interprofessional Attitudes Scale. J Interprof Care. 2021;35(4):596-603. doi:10.1080/13561820.2020.1786359
• Tran LTK, Duong KD, Le DD, Nguyen HTM. Question the promise: validating the interprofessional attitudes scale in Vietnamese health students. J Interprof Care. 2025;39(2):275-283. doi:10.1080/13561820.2024.2449053
• Fusco NM, Maerten-Rivera J, Doloresco F, Ohtake PJ. Improving Pharmacy Students’ Attitudes Toward Collaborative Practice Through a Large-Scale Interprofessional Forum Targeting Opioid Dependence. Am J Pharm Educ. 2019;83(6):7034. doi:10.5688/ajpe7034
• Ohta R, Sano C. The Effectiveness of Family Medicine-Driven Interprofessional Collaboration on the Readmission Rate of Older Patients. Healthcare. 2023;11(2). doi:10.3390/healthcare11020269
• Rawlinson C, Carron T, Cohidon C, et al. An Overview of Reviews on Interprofessional Collaboration in Primary Care: Barriers and Facilitators. Int J Integr Care. 2021;21(2):32. doi:10.5334/ijic.5589