DOI: 10.25282/ted.1864475 ISSN: 1303-328X

Learning Health Law Through an Interprofessional Education: A Descriptive Qualitative Study of Nursing, Medical, and Law Students’ Experiences

Fahriye Oflaz, Pelin Karaçay, Murat Önok, İlker Kayı, Coşkun Yorulmaz
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Background and AimHealth law constitutes a critical yet often underemphasized component of health professions education. While interprofessional education has been widely implemented among health disciplines, the inclusion of law students as equal partners in interprofessional learning remains limited. This study aimed to explore the experiences and perspectives of nursing, medical, and law students regarding learning health law through an interprofessional education approach.Material and MethodsA descriptive qualitative design was used. The study was conducted following a one-day Interprofessional Health Law Education Program involving nursing, medical, and law students at a university in Türkiye. The program was structured around case-based scenarios that addressed informed consent, the protection of personal data, and the legal duty to report crimes. Data were collected through open-ended reflective questions administered at the end of the program and analyzed using descriptive analysis. ResultsData from 49 students were analyzed. Three main categories and ten themes emerged. Categories were legal awareness, development of multidimensional professional skills, and interprofessional communication and collaboration. Students reported increased awareness of their legal responsibilities in healthcare practice, a clearer distinction between ethical and legal obligations, and a better understanding of the roles and perspectives of other professions. Overall satisfaction with the educational experience was high, with students emphasizing the value of learning health law through shared case discussions.ConclusionLearning health law through interprofessional education presents a valuable opportunity to enhance legal awareness, promote interprofessional understanding, and prepare students for collaborative practice in complex healthcare settings. Integrating law students into interprofessional education initiatives may strengthen undergraduate curricula and contribute to more holistic and legally informed healthcare practice.

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