Abstract
Background: Interprofessional education (IPE) is increasingly recognised as essential for encouraging collaborative care practices among future healthcare providers. By fostering teamwork among different healthcare disciplines, IPE aims to improve patient care quality. However, while there is growing evidence of IPE’s effectiveness in general healthcare education, its impact specifically on midwifery students remains underexplored. This study investigates the effectiveness of IPE in preparing midwifery students to provide enhanced maternity care through improved interprofessional collaboration as professionals.
Methods: Using the PICO framework, the research question was formulated, and a structured literature search was conducted in PubMed and the Cochrane Library for studies published up to March 2026. Twelve relevant studies were included in the review, which showed positive outcomes of IPE interventions for the various healthcare disciplines, including midwifery.
Results: The analysis revealed generally positive outcomes from IPE interventions. Participants across different healthcare disciplines, including midwifery, reported improved interprofessional competencies and positive experiences with IPE. However, a few studies also highlighted some critical issues, such as scepticism among participants and possible short-term effects of IPE, demonstrating the importance of ongoing integration of IPE into healthcare education.
Conclusions. Despite the overall positive outcomes of IPE interventions, the lack of specific data on midwifery students is evident. This gap in the literature underscores the need for future research to explore the unique effects of IPE for midwifery students. Continued investigation is crucial to ensure that IPE is effectively tailored to meet the needs of midwifery education, thereby enhancing collaborative maternity care practices in the long term.