A longitudinal workplace-based interprofessional curriculum for graduate learners in a geriatrics patient-centered medical home

Abstract

Current health professions training programs offer limited longitudinal opportunities in geriatrics and interprofessional collaborative practice (IPCP); these longitudinal opportunities are necessary for a workforce capable of caring for an aging population with complex care needs. We designed a year-long, workplace-based curriculum incorporating interprofessional (IP) preceptorships and formal conferences in which graduate learners from geriatric medicine, pharmacy, social work, and law formed a learners’ team, learned about IPCP, and cared for older adults in an academic geriatrics patient-centered medical home. Our curricular objectives were to 1) improve IP collaborative competencies, 2) improve perceived teamness (defined as having core IP qualities of a team), and 3) provide team-based care to older adults. Our evaluation included learners' self-assessment on IP core competencies, perceived teamness, and the older adults' and their families’ perceptions on their team-based care. Learners reported improvement in IP collaborative competencies (P < 0.001), but not in teamness (P = 0.928). Older adults and their families perceived high quality care, reported confidence in their IP learner care team, and would recommend their team to others. This longitudinal IP curriculum improved IP collaborative competencies, contributed to positive perceptions of team-based care from those receiving care, and presented a longitudinal learning opportunity that models geriatrics-related IPCP. This paper describes key curricular activities, evaluation processes, and resource materials.