Effectiveness of interprofessional education in an emergency department

Yang, Goeun; Cho, Hyunseok; Kang, Seok Hoon; Ohk, Taekgeun

J Korean Soc Emerg Med > Volume 37(3); 2026 > Article

Original Article

Journal of The Korean Society of Emergency Medicine 2026;37(3): 170-187.

일개 응급실에서 시행한 전문직종 간 교육의 효과

양고은^1,2

, 조현석^3,4

, 강석훈^5,6

, 옥택근^3,4

¹강원대학교 의과대학 영상의학교실
²강원대학교병원 영상의학과
³강원대학교 의과대학 응급의학교실
⁴강원대학교병원 응급의학과
⁵강원대학교 의과대학 의학교육학교실
⁶강원대학교병원 가정의학과

Effectiveness of interprofessional education in an emergency department

Goeun Yang^1,2

, Hyunseok Cho^3,4

, Seok Hoon Kang^5,6

, Taekgeun Ohk^3,4

¹Department of Radiology, Kangwon National University School of Medicine, Chuncheon, Korea
²Department of Radiology, Kangwon National University Hospital, Chuncheon, Korea
³Department of Emergency Medicine, Kangwon National University School of Medicine, Chuncheon, Korea
⁴Department of Emergency Medicine, Kangwon National University Hospital, Chuncheon, Korea
⁵Department of Medical Education, Kangwon National University School of Medicine, Chuncheon, Korea
⁶Department of Family Medicine, Kangwon National University Hospital, Chuncheon, Korea

Correspondence

Taekgeun Ohk ,Tel: 033-258-2438, Fax: 033-258-2451, Email: otgotg11@gmail.com,

Received: May 22, 2025; Revised: September 14, 2025 Accepted: November 18, 2025. Published online: June 30, 2026.

ABSTRACT

Objective:
This study assessed the effectiveness of a short-duration interprofessional education (IPE) program in enhancing teamwork, communication, and interprofessional understanding among healthcare professionals working in a high-intensity emergency department (ED) setting.
Methods:
Sixty ED professionals (11 physicians, 37 nurses, and 12 paramedics) participated in this study. Of these, 30 attended a 4-hour IPE session that included small-group discussions centered on realistic, video-based conflict scenarios. The program was designed to facilitate reflection on interprofessional roles, communication, and medical errors. Pre-and post-intervention surveys were administered, measuring four domains: self-efficacy, job satisfaction, interprofessional comprehension, and team-based care performance using a five-point Likert scale. Statistical comparisons were conducted using the Mann-Whitney U test, and the results are expressed as the means±standard deviations and the medians with the interquartile range.
Results:
Post-education participants showed significant improvements in interprofessional understanding, particularly in recognizing the roles and challenges of same- and cross-professional colleagues. Team-based care metrics, including communication and perceived contribution to team goals, also improved. Nurses and physicians exhibited distinct improvements depending on their roles. Although the self-efficacy and satisfaction scores increased, they did not reach statistical significance. The participants reported high levels of educational satisfaction, with a willingness to engage in future sessions.
Conclusion:
Even a brief IPE session can improve interprofessional awareness and collaboration among ED staff, potentially supporting patient safety. Despite limitations, including single-center design, a small sample size, and the lack of objective clinical outcomes, the study supports the feasibility and value of scenario-based IPE in real-world, time-constrained environments.

Key words: Interprofessional education; Hospital emergency service; Continuing medical education; Interprofessional relations