Girundi C, Bettine M, Uchôa-Figueiredo LR. Interprofessional education in pandemic times: a case study at a federal university in São Paulo. Interface (Botucatu). 2026; 30: e260174 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1590/interface.260174
Abstract
The study investigated the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on interprofessional health education at the Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Baixada Santista campus, analyzing both in-person and remote contexts. The aim was to understand how education was reorganized and its effects on interprofessionalism. Using a mixed-methods approach with concurrent triangulation, 191 students and 49 faculty members were involved, with data collected through questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. The analysis, based on Habermas’s Theory of Communicative Action, led to the development of categories representing the experiences. The results highlighted technological inequalities and challenges in remote learning, such as reduced interaction and adaptation of interprofessional practices. However, there was increased faculty support and dialogue. The study concludes that interprofessional education is essential, but it requires integrative strategies in the in-person context to overcome the weaknesses of remote learning and strengthen collaborative skills.
Keywords
Interprofessional education; Emergency remote teaching; Higher education; COVID-19; Collaborative learning
Access in: https://doi.org/10.1590/interface.260174
