Hearing health collaboration (James et al., 2017)

Abstract

Purpose: To enhance audiology and physician assistant (PA) student appreciation for collaboration/team-based care through an interprofessional educational activity focused on hearing assessments.Method: A total of 18 students from Louisiana State University Health–New Orleans’s audiology and PA programs participated in an optional interprofessional education learning opportunity, which included a demonstration of hearing assessments. To assess student perspectives regarding interprofessional learning, the students completed pre- and post-surveys.Results: Eighteen students completed a survey, including 5 questions using a Likert scale and 1 open-ended question. Both audiology and PA students demonstrated significant statistical improvement in 2 interprofessional competencies: roles/responsibilities and interprofessional communication. Students also reported increased awareness and knowledge in the skills of the opposite professions as related to hearing assessments.Conclusion: Integrating interprofessional education experiences within an audiology program promotes collaborative practice patterns and supports new educational accreditation standards.Supplemental Material S1. The interprofessional education session document outlining information regarding the case, time schedule, learning objectives, demonstration activities, and stimulus questions.James, J., Chappell, R., Mercante, D. E., & Gunaldo, T. P. (2017). Promoting hearing health collaboration through an interprofessional education experience. American Journal of Audiology, 26, 570–575. https://doi.org/10.1044/2017_AJA-17-0040