WHIRL Study: Workplace Health Interprofessional Learning in the Construction Industry

Blake, Holly; Somerset, Sarah; Whittingham, Katharine; Middleton, Matthew; Yildirim, Mehmet; Evans, Catrin

Abstract

© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Interprofessional learning (IPL) is essential to prepare healthcare trainees as the future public health workforce. WHIRL (Workplace Health InteRprofessional Learning) was an innovative IPL intervention that engaged volunteer healthcare trainees (n = 20) in 2multi-professional teams to deliver health checks (n = 464), including tailored advice and signposting, to employees in the UK construction industry (across 21 events, 16 sites, 10 organisations) as part of an ongoing research programme called Test@Work. Volunteers undertook a four-part training and support package of trainer-led education, observations of practice, self-directed learning and clinical supervision, together with peer mentoring. In a one-group post-test only design, IPL outcomes were measured using the Inventory of Reflective Vignette-Interprofessional Learning (IRV-IPL), and the psychometric properties of the IRV-IPL tool were tested. WHIRL demonstrably improved healthcare trainees’ interprofessional skills in all five areas of collaboration, coordination, cooperation, communication, and commendation. The IRV-IPL tool was found to be a valid and reliable measure of interprofessional competencies across three scenarios; before and after health promotion activities, and as a predictor of future health promotion competence. This industry-based workplace IPL programme resulted in the attainment of health check competencies and bridged the gap between research, education and clinical practice.

Citation

Blake, H., Somerset, S., Whittingham, K., Middleton, M., Yildirim, M., & Evans, C. (2020). WHIRL Study: Workplace Health Interprofessional Learning in the Construction Industry. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(18), Article 6815. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17186815

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Sep 17, 2020
• Online Publication Date: Sep 18, 2020
• Publication Date: Sep 2, 2020
• Deposit Date: Sep 18, 2020
• Publicly Available Date: Sep 18, 2020
• Journal: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
• Print ISSN: 1661-7827
• Electronic ISSN: 1660-4601
• Publisher: MDPI
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 17
• Issue: 18
• Article Number: 6815
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17186815
• Keywords: workplace; health promotion; interprofessional learning; interprofessional education; construction; public health; health checks
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/4912432
• Publisher URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/18/6815