Validating a SMIIL:) Development and initial validation of a Scale Measuring the Impact of Interprofessional Learning (SMIIL)

Abstract

Design and evaluation of interprofessional learning (IPL) in pre-qualification education lacks customization. In response to this, the Scale Measuring the Impact of Interprofessional Learning (SMIIL) was developed to facilitate the context-driven evaluation of IPL interventions in the undergraduate setting. Items of this scale reflect common IPL themes and align to levels one to three of the modified Kirkpatrick’s model. This scale was piloted in a cohort of 787 BMBS (Bachelor of Medicine Bachelor of Surgery) students at a medical school in the South West of England. A response rate of 22.7% was achieved despite the disruption of face-to-face data collection during the Covid-19 lockdown (March to July 2020). Descriptive statistics, factor analysis, and Cronbach’s Alpha were used to validate and refine the scale. The resultant SMIIL is a unidimensional instrument comprised of 17 items with an acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.80). Further research is required to develop the scale fully and validate it by involving different cohorts of pre-qualification healthcare students in multiple localities and varying styles of IPL interventions.