Background: Good collaboration between Health Care Professionals can reduce medical errors, enhance the spread of critical information, and assist in interpretation of health information resulting in improved patient care.

Aim: To determine whether the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) can be used as a framework to promote knowledge and positive attitudes towards interprofessional practice within hospital settings in Rwanda.

Methodology: A Cluster Randomised Control Trial (CRCT) was used.  Four district hospitals were randomly allocated to receive a day’s training in interprofessional practice using ICF as a framework selected or a short talk and a booklet on the topic. Participants included medical doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, social workers, nutritionists, and mental health nurses/clinical psychologists. A validated self-designed instrument was used to measure knowledge and as well as a standardised Attitudes Scale.  The independent t-test and Mann-Whitney U test were used to establish if the two sets of groups were equivalent before and after training.  Ethical approval was obtained from the Human Research Ethics Committee of the University of Cape Town and the Rwandan National Ethics Committee.

Results: 203 participants were recruited at baseline and completed the training and both post-tests.  There was no significant difference between the Knowledge and Attitude scales pre-intervention. Post-intervention results show a significant difference in mean percentage gain on the Knowledge questionnaire (experimental group mean=41.3, SD=9.5; control group mean=17.7, SD=4.7 (t=22.5; p<.001). The increased in knowledge was apparent across all professions compared to control group after intervention. On the Attitudes Scales, the median scores of the Experimental Group improved from 77.8 to 91.1%, whereas the median scores of the Control remained approximately 80%. There was no significant difference in the ranking of the scores on the Attitudes Scale of two groups prior to training. However after training, the Experimental group scored significantly higher (p<.001).

Conclusion: The use of the ICF as a framework for training health professionals regarding interprofessional practice resulted in a significant improvement in both knowledge and attitudes. It is thus recommended that the framework be used in interprofessional education in Rwanda and other similar countries.

Acknowledgements: Stefanus Snyman for assistance in the initial conception of the study.

Key works: Interprofessional, ICF, Rwanda, District Hospital.