Objective. Interprofessional collaboration is a crucial component of care for children with rheumatic disease. Interprofessional care,\nwhen delivered appropriately, prevents disability and improves long-term prognosis in this vulnerable group. Methods. The aim of\nthis survey was to explore allied health professionalsââ?¬â?¢ and nursesââ?¬â?¢ confidence in treating paediatric rheumatology patients. Results.\nOverall, 117 participants were recruited, 77.9% of participants reported being ââ?¬Å?not confident at all,ââ?¬Â ââ?¬Å?not confident,ââ?¬Â or ââ?¬Å?neutralââ?¬Â in\ntreating children with rheumatic diseases (RD) despite 65.1% of participants reporting having treated >1 paediatric rheumatology\ncase in the past month. Furthermore, 67.2% of participants felt their undergraduate education in paediatric rheumatology was\ninadequate. ââ?¬Å?Journalsââ?¬Â or ââ?¬Å?texts booksââ?¬Â were used by 49.3% of participants as their primary source of continuing professional\ndevelopment (CPD) and 39.3% of participants indicated that they did not undertake any CPD related to paediatric rheumatology.\nSmall group and online education were perceived to be potentially of ââ?¬Å?great benefitââ?¬Â for CPD. Conclusion. This paper highlights\nallied health professionalsââ?¬â?¢ and nursesââ?¬â?¢ perceived inadequacy of their undergraduate education in paediatric RD and their low\nconfidence in recognising and treating RD.Undergraduate and postgraduate education opportunities focusing on interprofessional\ncollaboration should be developed to address this workforce deficiency.
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