Interprofessional Education Collaborative Research Articles

Designing Oral Health Curriculum That Facilitates Greater Integration of Oral Health Into Overall Health

For several decades, health professions education has been transforming; pedagogical constructs such as active learning, recorded lectures, electronic assessment, asynchronous content delivery, and interprofessional education and practice. However, the typical oral health curriculum has need for further transformation to ensure graduates' ability to function in an integrated health system. There is significant literature outlining associations between oral health and overall health, therefore, it is paramount that oral health learners develop skills to collaborate in an integrated model. Satcher, in 2000, outlined the gravity of oral health inequities and the importance of oral health. He said, “Too little time is devoted to oral health and disease topics in the education of non-dental health professional.” However, on the contrary typical oral health curriculum provide knowledge acquisition of topics related to overall health but isn't specifically designed to guide integrated care. In order to increase integrated care, groups like the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) have developed competencies for interprofessional education and collaborative practice that guides the training of health professionals. One way to improve integration is accreditation standards that guide transformation as well incorporate IPEC competencies. Having competencies is important to prepare learners to function in clinics like Kaiser Permanente's medical-dental integration model that rely upon teams and teamwork and clarity of roles and responsibilities. This manuscript outlines principle of oral health curriculum that facilitate graduates ability to work in an integrated health system and how that contributes to the improvement overall health of patients.

Making the case for interprofessional education and practice collaboration to address rising rates of HPV-associated oropharyngeal cancers.

Making the case for interprofessional education and practice collaboration to address rising rates of HPV-associated oropharyngeal cancers.

Leveraging the Interprofessional Education Collaborative Competency Framework to Transform Health Professions Education

Interprofessional learning experiences prepare future health care professionals for enhanced team-based care of patients and improved population health outcomes. The Interprofessional Education Collaborative's (IPEC) core competencies have become the gold standard for planning, implementation, and assessment of IPE activities. However, the IPEC framework is inconsistently applied across institutions. The IPEC Board of Directors decided to formally address this issue through the development of an institutional assessment instrument. This instrument would leverage IPEC competencies to identify institutional characteristics tied to the successful implementation of programmatic IPE. IPEC partnered with the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio in this effort. A panel of nationally recognized experts in IPE was formed to contribute to the instrument development process. While demonstrating a need for such an instrument, this commentary also encourages institutional IPE leaders across the United States to volunteer as item pilot testers, a critical step in the instrument development process.

A Behavior-Analytic Perspective on Interprofessional Collaboration

Collaborative service delivery models have gained considerable popularity in health care, education, and clinical settings. Despite the unique opportunity that this new popularity provides for the dissemination of applied behavior analysis, the majority of practicing behavior analysts have received little or no formal professional development on how to participate in teams with nonbehavioral colleagues. The purpose of this article is to elucidate the larger movement toward collaborative service delivery with an emphasis on interprofessionalism. The four core competency domains presented by the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) Framework are interpreted through a behavior-analytic lens. This article is an initial attempt to operationalize constructs commonly associated with interprofessional educational and collaborative practices including (but not limited to) cultural sensitivity and responsiveness, cultural humility and reciprocity, empathy, and compassion.

Can interprofessional case conferences effectively teach interprofessional core competencies? A case study

BackgroundThe establishment of interprofessional education (IPE) as an effective method for training future health care providers, the subsequent establishment of IPE requirements in accreditation standards, and the challenges to integrating IPE into professional-centric curricula have created an environment that encourages opportunity for innovation and collaboration in curriculum design. Interprofessional education activityInterprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) Core Competencies were integrated into an Interprofessional Case Conference (ICC) model that included six annual case conferences involving students from eight health professions across multiple campuses. Students worked in groups of eight with no more than two students from each profession per group. Interprofessional teams facilitated live progressive cases consisting of iterative guided student discussion alternating with group problem solving, followed by “talk-show style” reports. A retrospective pre-post study design using the validated IPEC Competency Self-Assessment V3 and Student Perspective of Interprofessional Clinical Education tools assessed student perspectives of the ICC model. The online survey was sent to participants who attended at least one ICC in 2015–2016 and 2016–2017. DiscussionPre-/post-data was available from 94 students. Results revealed modest, but significant, score changes across both instruments, confirming the value of IPE and the ICC training model. ImplicationsThe ICC formula allowed flexibility in applying IPE, resolved scheduling and resources challenges, complemented other IPE programming, and assisted in meeting pharmacy accreditation requirements and the diverse IPE needs of health professions education. The model is flexible, inexpensive, and could be readily replicated at other institutions.

Teaming and Thinking Outside the Box for Trainee Redeployment During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

We applaud Meo and colleagues' article, “Redeploying Residents and Fellows in Response to COVID-19: Tensions, Guiding Principles, and Lessons from the University of Washington,”1 for outlining 10 tenets based on the University of Washington redeployment experience. Furthermore, we suggest that hospital strategic and educational leaders could think outside the box and seek additional workforce reinforcements from trainees outside of Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education programs.Per the Interprofessional Education Collaborative Expert Panel,2 clinical practice is shifting toward team-based collaboration to deliver optimal patient-centered care. Yet, clinicians have limited training working within interprofessional teams. The COVID-19-related challenges of increased clinical demands combined with workforce shortages create unique opportunities for novel interprofessional models of redeployment.During the first wave of the pandemic, emergency department (ED) and internal medicine (IM) personnel found they needed more staff to facilitate communication with patients and families, given high caseloads, restricted visitations, and over-extended clinicians. As stated in guiding principle No. 3, program directors are the point persons to determine the scope of training for trainees. With buy-in from dental and oral pathology (D/OP) program directors and residents, we executed a novel redeployment model with D/OP residents at our academic community hospital. D/OP residents were trained as “communication partners” for ED and IM staff in anticipation of a second surge.We trained 9 residents over 3 weeks, with goals to identify appropriate surrogates for patients and to provide brief updates and emotional support. The curriculum highlighted role introduction, advance directives (AD), and empathic communication skills. Each resident practiced the skills with standardized patient actors, with real-time feedback.Educational and clinical leaders from IM and ED collaborated across disciplines with palliative medicine leaders and D/OP program directors to prepare and execute this redeployment plan. D/OP residents would be supervised by palliative care faculty.Per guiding principle No. 8, trainees should have opportunities to provide feedback and program evaluation. Post training, D/OP residents completed anonymous surveys. Their comments reflected both appreciation for the training and reluctance to engage in high-stakes communication with families of severely ill patients. Comments included:Even though the D/OP residents completed communication skills training, the ED and IM teams reported hesitation for using them in the role of “communication partner,” due to uncertainty in D/OP residents' ability to engage in difficult discussions around complex medical issues. Similarly, D/OP residents' confidence level for carrying out this new role varied by individual. Lipworth et al3 reported successful implementation of a communication liaison program to provide support and medical updates to family members of critically ill patients, utilizing subspecialists such as ophthalmologists and pathologists.The COVID-19 pandemic has brought havoc to our health care system, but also has provided opportunities for exploring new roles, more interprofessional “teaming,”4 and innovative thinking outside the box strategies for patient care.

Pre-registration nursing and occupational therapy students’ experience of interprofessional simulation training designed to develop communication and team-work skills: A mixed methods study

To bridge the gap between university and the clinical environment, the university where this study was conducted incorporated interprofessional simulation sessions into the curricula for pre-registration nursing and occupational therapy students. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of simulation training to support the development of students’ interprofessional communication and teamwork skills. Study participants were first-year students. A mixed methods study design was used that included: (1) a cross-sectional survey, (using the Interprofessional Education Collaborative Competency Self-Assessment tool), before and after the simulation session; and (2) two focus groups with students and one with academic staff. A total of 91 students and 5 staff participated. All students increased their self-perceived skills in interprofessional interactions. Two major themes were identified: ‘Communication and Teamwork’, with four sub-themes, (1) ‘Significance of Communication in teamwork’; (2) ‘Learning about, from and with each other’; (3) ‘Professional role identification and collaborative practice’; and (4) ‘Clinical leadership facilitated collaboration’ and ‘Lessons learnt from the simulation session’, with three subthemes: (1) ‘enhanced preparation for clinical placement’; (2) ‘the experience of interacting with a simulated patient’; and (3) ‘holistic patient care’. The results from the study demonstrated that interprofessional simulation sessions are an effective approach to introducing and developing collaborative clinical practice.

Competências colaborativas à formação do estudante: análise segundo domínios do Interprofessional Education Collaborative Expert Panel

OBJETIVO: Analisar, segundo os domínios do Interprofessional Education Collaborative Expert Panel, as competências colaborativas desenvolvidas pelo programa PermanecerSUS à formação dos estudantes de saúde. MÉTODO: Estudo qualitativo, sob a perspectiva da etnografia institucional, realizado em instituições de saúde públicas com estudantes, trabalhadores e usuários do sistema público de saúde. Os dados foram coletados por meio da observação participante e entrevista semiestruturada, e analisados com a análise de conteúdo temática, em consonância aos domínios do Interprofessional Education Collaborative Expert Panel. RESULTADOS: Participaram do estudo 60 pessoas, predominantemente do sexo feminino, divididas igualmente entre as unidades. Constatou-se que os indivíduos com menor idade e inseridos o mais precocemente em projetos interprofissionais, desenvolvem competências colaborativas com mais facilidade do que os trabalhadores dos serviços de saúde já atuantes dos serviços. CONCLUSÃO: O PermanecerSUS favorece aos estudantes ética/valores para a prática profissional, trabalho em equipe e corresponsabilidade. Entretanto, é preciso desenvolver entre os trabalhadores dos serviços de saúde a competência da comunicação interprofissional.

Child Development Day: A collaborative interprofessional experience

Interprofessional education is needed to guide students in becoming collaborative practitioners. We developed a hybrid learning experience, incorporating online modules with an in-person team-based learning experience to facilitate collaboration and understanding of roles among health professions students at a graduate institute. Child Development Day (CDD) involved the developmental assessment of children aged 6 months–36 months, incorporating several professions typically involved in the care of developing children. Before completing the 2-h interactive team experience, students across six health professions programs accessed an online pre-experience asynchronous learning module and completed a baseline knowledge assessment. During CDD, onsite interprofessional teams of students performed a developmental assessment of 1–2 children facilitated by interprofessional faculty. Learning activities and a graded team assignment addressed three Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) core competencies, including understanding roles and responsibilities, communication, and teamwork. After CDD, students completed a post-experience knowledge assessment and the Interprofessional Collaborative Competencies Attainment Scale (ICCAS). Learners demonstrated significant improvements in knowledge related to interprofessional practice, and all students passed the group assignment within 2 attempts. High levels of student satisfaction were measured in nearly all domains. Lower levels of satisfaction with the preparatory materials and perception of minimal improvements in communication and ethics highlighted parts of the program that could be enhanced.

Evaluation of an interprofessional education program in pediatric dentistry, medicine, and nursing.

The purpose of this study was to assess whether the Strategic Partnership for Interprofessional Collaborative Education in the Pediatric Dentistry (SPICE-PD) program at the UCLA School of Dentistry positively affected interprofessional experiences and practice patterns of pediatric and general dentistry residents, pediatric medical residents, and pediatric nurse practitioner students (PNPs). Data collection included a year-end online survey given to participants in the interprofessional program upon graduation from their UCLA dental/medical/nursing programs. Of the 318 participants who were recruited into SPICE-PD, 208 (65%; 208/318) completed the survey. Chi-square tests were used to assess differences in key outcome variables by dental/medical specialty. Most dental, medical, and nursing participants thought SPICE-PD helped them learn to work more effectively with interprofessional colleagues and reported knowing more about the abilities and contributions of other health professionals as a result of the program. While most pediatric medical residents and PNPs thought SPICE-PD improved their skills to screen for early childhood caries (N=91% and N=100%), PNPs were more likely than pediatric medical residents to report SPICE-PD improved their skills to apply fluoride varnish (98%versus 72%; p<0.001). Almost all pediatric medical residents and PNPs thought primary care providers should incorporate oral health into routine patient care and provide referrals to dental professionals when necessary. Increased interprofessional education and coordination of care through programs such as SPICE-PD can help bridge the gap between dental and medical care and lead to improved oral health outcomes and more comprehensive and preventive patient care.

“We're Performing Improvisational Jazz”: Interprofessional Pediatric Palliative Care Fellowship Prepares Trainees for Team-Based Collaborative Practice

ContextInterprofessional education (IPE) prepares clinicians for collaborative practice, yet little is known about the effectiveness of postgraduate IPE. ObjectivesThis is the first study to describe educational outcomes of an interprofessional fellowship in pediatric palliative care. Objectives were to understand the experiences of postgraduate trainees in an interprofessional, clinical environment and to evaluate program effect on interprofessional competencies. MethodsIn this mixed-methodology study, we surveyed former fellows from 2002 to 2018 about their fellowship experience and perceived change in interprofessional skills. We performed qualitative semantic content analysis of fellows’ responses about learning in an interprofessional context. We compared fellows’ self-rated ability (5-point Likert scale), before and after fellowship, in 10 interprofessional competencies selected from the Interprofessional Education Collaborative's core competencies. ResultsResponse rate was 87% (41/47). Fifty-one percent of respondents were physicians, 29% were social workers, and 20% were nurse practitioners. Respondents reported significant improvement in all 10 competencies, with summed mean scores of 2.8 ± 0.6 prefellowship (“not very well prepared”) and 4.4 ± 0.4 postfellowship (“very well” to “extremely well prepared”) (t = 15.6, P< 0.0001). Effect size for each competency was greater than 1.9 (strong positive impact). The fellowship experience was characterized by dynamic educational relationships: peer relationships with interprofessional co-fellows, mentoring relationships with faculty, clinical relationships with patients and families, and collaborative relationships with the healthcare system. Benefits and challenges of IPE were associated with interprofessional roles, teamwork, patient care, and educational needs. ConclusionThis study demonstrates the feasibility and effectiveness of an interprofessional postgraduate fellowship in preparing clinicians for collaborative practice.

Interprofessional simulation education to enhance teamwork and communication skills among medical and nursing undergraduates using the TeamSTEPPS® framework

BackgroundLearning in silos during the undergraduate years results in ineffective collaborative practice leading to adverse events. Simulation training using the Team Strategies and Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety (TeamSTEPPS)® framework has been shown to be effective in enhancing teamwork skills among healthcare professionals. This study aims to evaluate an interprofessional simulation education (IPSE) module for undergraduate medical and nursing students on teamwork and communication skills using the TeamSTEPPS® framework. MethodsAn IPSE module was developed by an interprofessional team of faculty. A convenient sample of medical and nursing undergraduate interns participated in trauma simulation scenarios before and after a didactic session on interprofessional education (IPE) and TeamSTEPPS® 2.0. The pre-post performance was assessed by faculty and pre-post self-assessment of the IPSE training and interprofessional education collaborative (IPEC) competencies by the participants. Quantitative data were analysed using a paired t-test of the mean scores and analysis of variance. The themes that emerged from audio recordings of the debriefing, and written reflections of the participants, yielded data for qualitative thematic analysis. ResultsThe scores of team performance, self-assessment of IPSE training, and IPEC competencies revealed statistically significant values. Themes that emerged included the need for IPSE in the curriculum, impact of structured tools for communication on patient safety, and awareness of the roles and responsibilities in interprofessional teamwork. A survey conducted two weeks after completion of the module showed positive feelings among participants about interprofessional collaboration. ConclusionThe study specifically assessed the effectiveness of an IPSE module based on TeamSTEPPS® guidelines in improving communication and teamwork skills among medical and nursing undergraduates.

Interprofessional education on opioid use and pain identifies team-based learning needs

BackgroundAn interprofessional education (IPE) activity was designed for health professional students in pharmacy, medicine, nursing, social work, and addiction studies. The goals were to practice team-based collaboration for patients who are prescribed opioids for chronic pain and to evaluate student responses to the activity. Interprofessional education activityStudent teams were guided through an unfolding patient case that included evaluating the patient's history, screening tool results, morphine equivalent dose, prescription monitoring program report, and videos of a patient-provider interaction. The two-hour, in-person IPE activity culminated in creation of a patient-centered treatment plan. Surveys were administered to compare pre- and post-course opioid knowledge and post-course IPE attitudes among the healthcare professions. DiscussionPharmacy students' baseline opioid knowledge scores were similar to nursing students, significantly lower than medical students, and significantly higher than social work students. Pharmacy students reported significantly higher gains in opioid knowledge than medical students. Nursing and social work students showed significantly higher levels of agreement that the course enhanced attitudes toward interprofessional collaboration compared to medicine and pharmacy students. Students most frequently noted working with other professions as the most valuable aspect of the IPE activity. ImplicationsTraining gaps can be met using novel IPE activities specific to chronic pain and opioid use. Depending on profession, students demonstrated varied baseline knowledge regarding opioid use for chronic pain. Comparing knowledge gains and attitudes on IPE collaboration among professions can detect areas for program refinement to address each professions' unique needs.

How are nurse educators prepared to teach interprofessional practice?

BackgroundWhen healthcare professionals collaborate and communicate well, patients have better health outcomes. Nursing students need to learn interprofessional team skills before they graduate to succeed. Nurse educators are responsible for preparing students to function in interprofessional teams. However, many nursing programs, especially ones with fewer resources, struggle to teach interprofessional collaboration. Experts agree that the first step in implementing interprofessional education is to provide educators with faculty development. Despite this, little is known about if and how nurse educators are prepared to teach interprofessional concepts. ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to explore nurse educator experiences regarding their preparation to teach interprofessional education and to explore how their preparation influenced their teaching. DesignA qualitative multiple case study approach was used to gather information regarding nurse educators' preparation to teach interprofessional education. Data were gathered from interviews and educational documents. SettingsThis study involved three different undergraduate RN programs located in the Western United States. ParticipantsData was gathered from three educators from each of the three different undergraduate nursing programs, for a total of nine participants. MethodsInterview transcripts and educational documents were thematically analyzed using the Interprofessional Education Collaborative's core competencies as a framework. ResultsNone of the educators had participated in any type of formal faculty development to prepare them to teach interprofessional collaboration. Most had an incomplete understanding of interprofessional collaborative practice. Few were aware of the resources available to help them incorporate interprofessional collaboration into their curriculum. Although there were isolated instances where participants taught students communication or teamwork concepts, none of the programs explored had any formal interprofessional education in their curricula. ConclusionsThis study's findings support the need for faculty development if leaders expect nursing educators to teach interprofessional collaboration to students.

Ethical Considerations in Clinical Supervision: Components of Effective Clinical Supervision Across an Interprofessional Team.

Within the practices of behavior analysis, education, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, speech-language pathology, and other health professions, professional practice focuses on each discipline's ethics, assessment, and treatment practices. However, maximizing outcomes for some clients is achieved only by combining the strengths of multiple disciplines to include all the competencies required for comprehensive client care. Thus, understanding and acquiring the core competencies for working collaboratively within an interprofessional framework is essential for working together effectively to garner the best outcomes for clients. Furthermore, the interprofessional team clinical supervisor has the added responsibility of ensuring optimal client outcomes while managing a diverse group of professionals, each with their own set of perspectives, clinical training, and evidence-based practices. In many areas of applied practice, the behavior analyst assumes the role of interprofessional clinical supervisor, which necessitates additional training in collaboration, supervision of allied professionals, and ethics. Successful interprofessional and collaborative working relationships require a number of key competencies and subcompetencies as outlined by the Interprofessional Education Collaborative, as well as knowledge of others' ethical and professional codes and/or guidelines for professional conduct, along with additional training and resources in the navigation and handling of ethical dilemmas among disparate team members. Working together and maintaining professional relationships within an interdisciplinary team are fraught with barriers and issues that may impede collaboration. The interprofessional team clinical supervisor requires various strategies, processes, and resources to enable them to navigate challenges and assist the team in working cohesively to achieve more positive client outcomes.

Interprofessional Education at a Distance: The Hybrid Interprofessional Education Model

Background: Interprofessional education (IPE) is a critical component of health professions education but planning and implementation are challenged by logistical, physical, personnel, and recently global pandemic COVID-19 barriers. Purpose: This report describes the development and design of the proposed Hybrid Interprofessional Education (HIPE) model, a blended learning IPE model developed to mitigate barriers using a flexible framework and online collaborative technologies to deliver experiences based on Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) core competencies. Operational principles, model design, an example of model implementation, and outcomes are reported. Method: Fifty-four student physical therapists and physician assistants attending remote campuses of the same university participated and completed an exit survey. Descriptive statistics were calculated for Likert scale and semantic differential scale survey items and thematic analysis was conducted for open question responses. Results: Analysis revealed students felt improved understanding of interprofessional practice, the other profession’s role, teamwork, and communication. Responses supported online, asynchronous delivery and the web application used but not the synchronous activity portion. Three themes arose from comments: learning with and from, interactions, and activity design. Conclusion: The HIPE model was used to deliver IPE that supported perceptions of student learning in IPEC core competencies when physical proximity was not possible. Further iterative research and model refinement are needed. Future research should include investigation of student learning outcomes when using the HIPE model.

Interprofessional Education and Practice: Perspectives from Students in Speech-Language Pathology and Recreational Therapy

Interprofessional education and practice (IPE/IPP) are important components for undergraduate and graduate students to experience during their programs of study in speech-language pathology and related health professions. The American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA) is a member organization of the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) which promotes four core competencies required for effective practice: values/ethics, roles/responsibilities, interprofessional communication, and teams and teamwork. The purpose of this study was to gather the lived experiences from eight pre-professional students, four from speech-language pathology (SLP) and four from recreational therapy(RT), during focus groups and discussion forums conducted before, during, and after a 14-week IPE/IPP clinical experience. Students shared perspectives about providing collaborative therapy services as part of a team supporting adults with stroke or other acquired neurological conditions. Thematic analysis conducted from pre and post focus group transcripts revealed six primary themes: roles and responsibilities; interprofessional communication; collaborative teamwork; values and mutual respect; challenges to IPE/IPP; and benefits &amp; impact of IPE/IPP. Students shared their clinical experiences engaging with students from SLP and RT, but also working with students from physical and occupational therapy. The qualitative data from this study provides important information to assist future students, educators, and clinical supervisors how to effectively access and engage in IPE/IPP learning experiences with a specific focus in the areas of teamwork, leadership, and conflict resolution.

Expanding Workforce Capacity to Care for Older Veterans: The VA GRECC Interprofessional Training Experience

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) contributes more to training healthcare professionals in geriatrics/gerontology than any other entity nationally, with the Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center (GRECC) network serving as a leader in geriatric-/gerontology-specific interprofessional education. The Associated Health Training (AHT) Program is supported by all GRECCs, training ~427 trainees annually (FY17). Each AHT program brings together a diverse array of trainees – the specific constellation of disciplines unique to each GRECC based on local capacity/expertise. Common to all programs is intentional interprofessional training, aligned with Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) competencies. In 2016, the VA Office of Academic Affiliations (OAA) administered a 22-item survey to characterize the depth and breadth of geriatric-/gerontologic-specific interprofessional education across GRECCs. Questions explored how AHT programs addressed each of the four IPEC competency domains. Responses were de-identified; at least 2 coders independently applied directed coding to responses. Across GRECCs (n=18), 323 interprofessional training activities were coded, of which 9% were didactic; 27%, clinical; and, 63%, combination. Interprofessional education activities were integrated with profession-specific curricula (65.3%) or featured as part of GRECC-specific core curricula (5.4%). GRECC AHT interprofessional programs involved an average of 11 disciplines. GRECC AHT programs provide a vital infrastructure for building workforce capacity through robust, interprofessional training that engages diverse disciplines across a variety of care settings representing the continuum of care for older Veterans. GRECC and OAA efforts are critical to enhancing the quality, and expanding the capacity, of this workforce to meet increasing needs for patient-directed, team-based care for older adults.

Impact of interprofessional collaboration on chronic disease management: Findings from a systematic review of clinical trial and meta-analysis

Improvement of chronic disease management demands effective collaborative relationships between health and social-care which is achieved through teamwork. Interprofessional Education (IPE) and Interprofessional Collaboration (IPC) are recognized as essential for the delivery of effective and efficient healthcare. Although IPC and IPE are key components of primary care, evidence of studies evaluating how an IPE intervention prior to IPC improved chronic patient outcomes remains scarce. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of IPC interventions on the management of chronic patients compared to usual care.A systematic review and meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) on IPC interventions on chronicity management and their impact on clinical and process outcomes was conducted.Of the 11,128 papers initially retrieved, 23 met the inclusion criteria. Meta-analyses results showed the reduction of systolic blood pressure (Mean Difference (MD) -3.70; 95 % CI -7.39, -0.01), glycosylated hemoglobin (MD -0.20; 95 % CI -0.47, -0.07), LDL cholesterol (MD -5.74; 95 % CI -9.34, -2.14), diastolic blood pressure (MD -1.95; 95 % CI -3.18, -0.72), days of hospitalization (MD -2.22; 95 % CI -4.30, -0.140).A number of positive findings for outcomes related to IPC were found reflecting an improvement of quality of care and an enhancement in the delivery of patient-centered and coordinated care. Moreover, the need for a purposeful systemic approach linking interprofessional education with interprofessional collaboration and patient health and wellbeing is necessary.

Building the future geriatrics workforce through transformative interprofessional education and community-engaged experiential learning

Abstract The number of older Americans, ages 65 years and above, is projected to more than double from 46 million in 2014 to 98 million by 2060.1 Despite these projections, the number of health professionals trained to address the needs of this population is declining and a shortage has been projected across the country by 2025.2-4 To address this health workforce gap, the Institute of Medicine report, Retooling for an Aging America5 calls for enhanced geriatric training across health professions, and a growing body of evidence supports the value of interprofessional education (IPE) and collaborative practice. To respond to the urgent need for a better geriatric trained workforce, we developed an interprofessional course, “Scholars and Leaders in Interprofessional Geriatrics (SLIG)”, designed to enable health science students from different professions to acquire knowledge, understanding, and appreciation of integrated ethical geriatric care, in a variety of healthcare settings (i.e., community care, house calls, post-acute rehabilitation care, and hospice), as part of an interprofessional (IP) team. The learning activities include experiential and didactic learning for six weeks. Course learning objectives are aimed at enabling students to: apply patient- and family-centered approaches for addressing health disparities among older adults; define transitional care and explain the factors affecting effective care transitions and strategies for addressing the needs of older adults at various levels of care; and describe the four Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) competencies5 and apply these to IP team work in a geriatric care setting. Together, these learning objectives address the continuum of care of older adults, including the trajectory of illness, at different levels including transitions of care. Our mixed-methods program evaluation approach utilized the IPECC-Set 38 6,7 self-efficacy tool in a post-program evaluation survey. The IPECC-SET 38 tool assessed students’ self-efficacy in interprofessional collaborative practice. The tool was developed and validated6,7 by the co-authors and colleagues. A program evaluation survey was administered to all students. The data demonstrated that the participating students consider the course to be beneficial, with 100% of students (n = 30) reporting program learning goals were met and that the program addressed all four IPEC domains. We are encouraged by the overwhelmingly positive response by our students to this IPE course and we plan to continue to contribute to developing the future geriatric IP workforce.