Changes in the Assessment of Interprofessional Collaboration on Chronic Care: Insights from an Interdisciplinary Healthcare Seminar

Abstract

This paper presents the development and evaluation of an interdisciplinary seminar on Chronic Care. The seminar brings together students from medicine, dentistry, psychology, nursing science, economics, and management to explore the complex challenges of caring for people with chronic diseases. Grounded in the Chronic Care approach and recommendations by the German Science Council, the course addresses the need for interprofessional collaboration and transdisciplinary learning, which are still rarely implemented in primary academic qualifications. The seminar’s objective is to help students understand the interconnections between disease progression curves, care needs, and resilience, while reflecting on their own disciplinary roles through dialogue and shared learning. Content includes the subjective experience of disease, social determinants of health, disease progression curves, person-centered care, and resilience theory. Using discursive, practice-oriented teaching methods, the seminar fosters critical reflection on professional identities and collaboration. To assess changes in students’ attitudes toward cross-professional cooperation, a pre-post survey using a 5-point Likert scale was conducted. Results indicate that students developed a clearer understanding of their own roles and an increased appreciation for interprofessional exchange. The evaluation suggests that such interdisciplinary formats are essential for preparing future professionals to meet the demands of chronic care in real-world settings.