Influences on Interdisciplinary Collaboration among Social Work and Health Sciences Students

Abstract

Interdisciplinary collaboration is an effective and satisfying way to provide health care services and learning across professions. This study aimed to explore interdisciplinary collaboration experiences amongst social work and allied health sciences graduate students and examined factors that contributed to their interdisciplinary collaboration. An interdisciplinary survey was conducted in a Mid-Atlantic public university. Analysis was conducted using hierarchical regressions from 112 health sciences and social work students. Students with positive attitudes toward interdisciplinary health care teams and part-time students compared to full-time students presented higher flexibility of interdisciplinary collaboration. Students with positive experiences of interdisciplinary collaboration demonstrated higher levels of interdependence, compared to those with no and negative experiences of interdisciplinary collaboration. Students in medicine were less likely to show interdependence, compared to those in social work. Professional disciplines and educators should put efforts in offering opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration practice and building curricula to promote positive attitudes toward interdisciplinary teamwork.