Perception and readiness of health professions students about interprofessional education in Kuwait

BACKGROUND: Interprofessional education (IPE) is important for developing interdisciplinary partnerships that improve healthcare delivery. IPE is currently not a common practice in healthcare professions (HP) programs in Middle Eastern countries. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to assess the perceptions and attitudes of HP students toward IPE across multiple programs at Kuwait. METHODS: This was an exploratory, cross-sectional, quantitative, comparative study of 1,162 full-time HP program students ≥ 18 years old. The Interdisciplinary Education Perception Scale (IEPS) and Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) were utilized. RESULTS: IEPS scores were significantly different among different years of study (p = 0.027). RIPLS scores were significantly different among different academic HP programs (p = 0.042). The IEPS subscales, perception of actual cooperation and perceived need for cooperation, were significantly different among different HP programs (p = 0.005). RIPLS subscales, teamwork and collaboration (p = 0.024), and roles and responsibilities (p = 0.016), were shown to be significantly different among academic years. CONCLUSION: Higher IEPS scores among upper-year students emphasize the role of clinical exposure in enhancing perceptions of interdisciplinary collaboration, while RIPLS results suggest that program-specific curricula shape readiness for interprofessional practice. These findings underscore the need for structured IPE experiences tailored to academic stages and professional contexts to prepare collaborative healthcare professionals.