WHIRL Study: Workplace Health Interprofessional Learning in the Construction Industry

Holly Blake, Sarah Somerset, Katharine Whittingham, Matthew Middleton, Mehmet Yildirim and Catrin Evans
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Holly Blake: School of Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2HA, UK
Sarah Somerset: School of Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2HA, UK
Katharine Whittingham: School of Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2HA, UK
Matthew Middleton: School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK
Mehmet Yildirim: School of Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2HA, UK
Catrin Evans: School of Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2HA, UK

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 18, 1-20

Abstract: 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 multi-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.

Keywords: workplace; health promotion; interprofessional learning; interprofessional education; construction; public health; health checks (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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