Interprofessional Education Collaborative Competencies Research Articles

Translating Interprofessional Education to Social Work & Other Behavioral Health Disciplines: Curricular Evaluation Using an Implementation Science Approach

ABSTRACT Evidence-informed, interprofessional education (IPE) programs in behavioral health are an important part of reform efforts to reduce fragmentation and increase quality of mental health and substance use disorder treatment. The aim of this study is to document an implementation science approach to translation of IPE, grounded in Interprofessional Education Collaborative competencies, to social work and other behavioral health graduate students and to evaluate selected implementation outcomes. Select implementation strategies from the “Expert Recommendations for Implementing Change” were used to guide implementation of our behavioral health IPE training. A mixed-methods design, including survey, observational, and focus group data, was used to evaluate select implementation outcomes of the IPE training program. Data indicate positive perceptions of feasibility, acceptability, adoption, appropriateness, and fidelity of the IPE training program, with mean scores ranging from 4.25 to 4.45 (5-point likert scale) on items related to acceptability, appropriateness and adoption. Themes that emerged from qualitative data included recommendations of relational and experiential strategies to improve fidelity. Evaluation of implementation outcomes identifies additional strategies to enhance learning and fidelity to IPEC competencies. Implementation science offers a helpful framework for carrying-out trainings in higher education and beyond.

Implementation and Mixed-Methods Assessment of an Early Mobility Interprofessional Education Simulation.

Extended periods of bed rest and mechanical ventilation (MV) have devastating effects on the body. Early mobility (EM) for patients in respiratory failure is safe and feasible, and an interprofessional team is recommended. Using simulation to train EM skills improves student confidence. The purpose of this study was to enable health care student collaboration as an interprofessional team in providing safe management and monitoring during an EM simulation for a patient requiring MV. Nursing (n = 33), respiratory (n = 7), occupational (n = 24), and physical therapist students (n = 55) participated in an EM interprofessional education (IPE) simulation experience. A mixed-methods analytic approach was used with pre/post quantitative analysis of the Student Perceptions of Interprofessional Clinical Education-Revised, Version 2 instrument and qualitative analysis of students' guided reflection papers. Pre/post surveys completion rate was 39.5% (n = 47). The Student Perceptions of Interprofessional Clinical Education-Revised, Version 2 instrument indicated a significant improvement (P = .037) in students' perceptions of interprofessional collaborative practice. Qualitative data showed a positive response to the EM simulation IPE. Themes reflected all 4 Interprofessional Education Collaborative competencies. This study demonstrated improved perception of interprofessional collaborative practice and better understanding of the Interprofessional Education Collaborative competencies. Students collaborated in the simulation-based IPE to provide EM for a patient requiring MV and reported perceived benefits of the experience.

Improving self-efficacy in behavioral health through interprofessional education.

Interprofessional education (IPE) is important in preparing health profession students to practice in a workforce dependent on teamwork and collaboration. Many health profession students graduate without ever having active shared learning experiences in the academic setting. Opportunities for students to participate in activities that promote self-efficacy in competencies related to interprofessional collaborative practice are essential. The purpose of the project was to assess health profession students' perception of self-efficacy related to the core competencies of IPE. The project used a pre/post quantitative survey research design comprising a sample of students enrolled in clinical practicums in behavioral health care settings. Using standardized patients, students participated in timed simulated encounters. Participants ( n = 36) completed the 16-item Interprofessional Education Collaborative Competency Self-Assessment Tool on conclusion of the learning activity. Survey responses were scored on a 5-point Likert-type scale, with high scores indicating a stronger level of agreement of perceived self-efficacy. On the postsurvey, most items were rated as "agree" or "strongly agree." Item means ranged from 4.64 to 4.81. A positive association was found between students' self-efficacy and the utilization of standardized patients within an interprofessional experiential learning activity. The intervention contributed to improving self-efficacy in interprofessional competencies related to collaborative interaction and values.

Virtual Interprofessional Education: Team Collaboration in Discharge Planning Simulation.

This study assessed the effectiveness of a virtual interprofessional education (IPE) discharge planning simulation, focusing on collaborative patient education, and recommendations for hospital discharge. An acute care hospital. The study utilized a virtual IPE discharge planning simulation for health care students from six different programs. The simulation involved prebriefing, icebreaker, team meeting, patient interaction, and debriefing. Assessment included pre- and post-IPE surveys that included the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) Competency Self-Assessment Tool, and video analysis using the Modified McMaster-Ottawa Rating Scale. Student participants from diverse health care programs (n =143) included nursing (n = 20), occupational therapy (n = 21), physical therapy (n = 42), physician assistant (n = 38), respiratory therapy (n = 3), and social work (n = 19). All programs except respiratory therapy showed significant improvement in IPEC Competency scores post-IPE, with positive outcomes for understanding other professions' roles. Students' self-reported perceptions of team performance were rated highly in various categories. Video analysis demonstrated strong interrater reliability for team scores. Effective hospital discharge planning is vital for cost reduction and patient care improvement. IPE emphasizes collaborative learning among health care students. Previous studies highlight positive outcomes from IPE discharge planning, including virtual formats. This virtual IPE discharge planning simulation significantly improved students' understanding and collaboration competencies, evident in increased IPEC scores across five professions.

Embedding Interprofessional Education in Clinical Settings: Medical and Dental Student Perceptions of a Patient Interview-Storytelling Experience.

Interprofessional education (IPE) is valued but difficult to deliver, given logistical and other barriers. Centering IPE around patients and grounding it in authentic practice settings are challenging within early undergraduate medical education. This intervention facilitated student-patient conversations to elicit patient reflections on the health care professionals who keep them healthy and care for them when they are unwell. After being introduced to the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) core competencies, first-year medical (n = 127) and dental (n = 34) students conducted a brief semistructured patient interview, using an interview card with guiding questions, during a precepted outpatient clinic session in March-May 2021. Students transcribed patients' stories and wrote their own reflections on the interview card. These reflections were used as a stimulus for a class IPE discussion. The authors employed a pragmatic qualitative research approach to explore what students learned about interprofessional collaboration from reflecting on patients' stories. Of the 161 students, 158 (98%) completed an interview card. Sixteen health professions were represented in patients' stories. The patients' stories prompted students to recognize and expand their understanding of the IPEC competencies. Students' responses reflected synthesis of the competencies into 3 themes: students value patient-centered holistic care as the goal of interprofessional collaboration; students reflect emerging professional and interprofessional identities in relating to patients, teams, and systems; and students appreciate interprofessional care is complex and challenging, requiring sustained effort and commitment. Next steps include continuing to integrate patient voices through structured conversations across the undergraduate and graduate medical education spectrum and adapting the model to support conversations with other health professionals engaged in shared patient care. These experiences could foster ongoing deliberate reflection by students on their professional and interprofessional identity development but would require investments in student time and faculty development.

Student Growth in Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) Competencies: Results From a Multi-phased Approach Across Professions

Student Growth in Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) Competencies: Results From a Multi-phased Approach Across Professions

Breaking Down the Silos: Interprofessional Education Certificate of Honors Program

The University of New Mexico (UNM) Health Sciences, Office of Interprofessional Education designed and implemented an innovative interprofessional education (IPE) Honors program, the first in the United States, in the Summer of 2019. This program was built through a dynamic and responsive partnership with health professions students from multiple programs. The program was piloted in the 2019/2020 academic year and upon graduation in May 2020, the first twenty students were awarded a certificate of IPE Honors. The designed program addressed the barriers and challenges to IPE participation at the organizational level while facilitating creative engagement from the students. We designed the IPE Honors program to value and highlight the innovative interprofessional extracurricular and intercurricular student work. Individual program accreditation and documentation of outcome requirements are supported using a reflective learning IPE evaluation tool that captures the quality and quantity of student IPE experiences. We inventoried both intercurricular and extracurricular IPE activities and experiences. We then mapped these activities to seven categories that were correlated with the behaviors of Interprofessional Professionalism (Frost et al., 2019) and the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) Competencies (Barr, 1998). Through group meetings and a pilot assessment, we felt confident that students could gain sufficient experience and practice with the interprofessional behaviors to achieve the IPEC competencies. We designed the IPE Honors program to highlight, build, and assess the quality of IPE experiences across the HSC while accounting for the extracurricular student IPE experiences. This program is innovative, flexible, sustainable, and can be replicated.

Teaching Interprofessional Collaboration Skills With Medical and Social Work Students Through Simulation

ABSTRACT An interprofessional pulmonary standardized patient simulation case was used for medical and social work students to work together using motivational interviewing. Following the case, 68 medical students and 20 social work students responded to open-ended questions eliciting reflection on the encounter. Using thematic text analysis, results indicated students learned how different professions approached healthcare issues and communicated to patients, the importance of collaboration, and the need to be patient-centered with an integrated care approach. This case met all four Interprofessional Education Collaborative Competencies. Our results suggest interprofessional standardized patient simulations can assist students in addressing substance use using a team-based approach. With barriers such as time, instructor availability, and limited funding for interprofessional activities, meaningful high-yield activities are essential.

Psychological Safety as an Educational Value in Interprofessional Health Education.

The Interprofessional Education Collaborative competency on values and ethics is defined as "work[ing] with individuals of other professions to maintain a climate of mutual respect and shared values." Essential to mastery of this competency is acknowledging biases, many of which are rooted in historically entrenched assumptions about the value of medical supremacy in health care, popular cultural representations of health professionals, and students' lived experiences. This article describes an interprofessional education activity in which students from several health professions discuss stereotypes and misconceptions about their own professions and other health professions and professionals. Psychological safety in the learning environment is key, so this article also canvasses how authors revised the activity to promote and facilitate open communication.

Interprofessional students’ insights into the experiential learning environment: Values, impacts, and alignment with interprofessional collaborative practice competencies and the triple aim

The experiential learning environment offers an ideal opportunity for students to observe and develop their interprofessional competencies. However, it is unclear whether interprofessional concepts are integrated into experiential learning in ways that are tangible and identifiable to the students. This study aimed to gain understanding of which elements of interprofessional collaboration in experiential learning environments are observed by students from various professions during experiential rotations; which of those are most valuable to student learning and which could be improved; in what ways students see interprofessional collaboration in practice impacting learners, provider teams, communities, and health systems; and whether student perceptions of the impacts of interprofessional collaboration align with one or more Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) competency areas and/or components of the Triple/Quadruple Aim. Results demonstrate that students perceive impacts related most often to their individual lens and to patient care and are less frequently focused on system-level observations. Intentional and innovative efforts must be made by academic programs, interprofessional education programs, experiential placement sites, and health professions accreditors to make the impacts on care systems, cost of care, communities, and populations more explicit in the experiential learning environment in pursuit of the Triple Aim.

Working together for patient health: Assessing interprofessional competencies among healthcare professionals in Lebanon

IntroductionInterprofessional collaboration (IPC) is the gold standard for safe, high-quality, and accessible patient-centered care. This study aims to assess IPC core competencies among Lebanese healthcare providers from different professions and explore the influence of several factors, including leadership, work ethics, and specialty, on healthcare IPC in Lebanon. MethodsThis cross-sectional online survey enrolled 245 healthcare workers in Lebanon between July and December 2021. The Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) Competency Self-Assessment Tool Version 3 was used to assess IPC. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were carried out to compare the total competency scale and subscales between the leadership group, work ethic, specialty, and education level, taking into account potential confounding variables, namely, age and gender. ResultsThe mean competency total scale was 4.22 ± 0.68. The bivariate analysis showed a significantly higher mean competency among participants who have a full-time job, higher administrative leadership (4.30 vs. 3.08, p = 0.001), interpersonal leadership (4.29 vs. 2.94, p = 0.006), conceptual leadership (4.28 vs. 3.15, p = 0.010) and higher work ethics (4.51 vs. 4.12, p < 0.001). Older age (r = 0.15, p = 0.017) was also significantly associated with higher competency. The multivariate analysis showed that having only high work ethics, as compared to low, remains significantly associated with higher total interprofessional competency, including the Interaction and Interprofessional Values subscales. No differences in IPEC scales between pharmacists and other healthcare providers were noted. ConclusionThe IPEC total competency score was higher among full-time healthcare providers and those who scored higher on leadership skills and work ethics. The study outcome shows the importance of education in interprofessional practice.

Pharmacy student self-assessment of interprofessional behaviors in inpatient general medicine advanced pharmacy practice experiences

IntroductionThe World Health Organization defines interprofessional education (IPE) “as an experience where students from two or more professions learn about, from, and with each other to…improve health outcomes.”1 Recent studies have demonstrated that IPE experiences can produce positive outcomes, and the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education Accreditation Standards require IPE experiences to be incorporated in both didactic and experiential components of pharmacy curricula. The purpose of this study was to measure the impact of required rotation interprofessional activities on fourth-year pharmacy students' self-assessment of interprofessional collaboration behaviors. MethodsThis was an ambidirectional cohort study conducted among students enrolled in their inpatient general medicine advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) at the University of Texas at El Paso School of Pharmacy during academic year 2020–2021. Students completed the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) competency self-assessment instrument at the beginning and end of their six-week APPE. The survey instrument assessed IPEC competencies in the four IPE domains. ResultsDuring the 2020–2021 academic year, 29 APPE pharmacy students completed the pre- and post-assessment during their inpatient general medicine APPE. There was a significant increase (P < .001) in IPEC scores from baseline to post-assessment in each domain. ConclusionsStudents had a positive change in interprofessional collaboration behaviors after completing the required IPE on their inpatient general medicine APPE, which is consistent with prior studies.While students' perceived IPE behaviors improved, further research is needed to elucidate the value of IPE learning activities and impact on learning outcomes.

Avaliação da educação interprofissional para a tomada de decisão compartilhada em farmacoterapia: uma revisão de escopo sobre métodos e instrumentos

Abstract This study aimed to describe the research methods and instruments used in the evaluation of interprofessional education strategies for shared decision making in drug therapy. The types of evaluation employed were categorized according to Kirkpatrick’s adapted model. A scoping review was conducted, following the PRISMA-ScR recommendations. Among the 21 selected studies, there was a predominance of quantitative methods in the evaluation of educational experiences (n=18). Of these, the most common aspect evaluated was “students’ attitudes and perceptions towards interprofessional education and practice” by means of validated instruments (n=13). Ten different instruments were identified and found to be in line with the Interprofessional Education Collaborative competencies. The variety of instruments signals the growing production of knowledge about this topic, but points to the challenge of conducting comparative analyses between educational experiences around the world.

Successful Development and Implementation of a Large Virtual Interprofessional Education Activity Applying the Social Determinants of Health.

Interprofessional education (IPE) activities provide students insight into healthcare teams, shared decision-making, and social determinants of health (SDOH). Virtual IPE activities with large student populations or across multicampus have not been evaluated. The study aimed to explore the interprofessional competency growth in students, across several disciplines, following participation in a large-scale, virtual IPE activity. Students from pharmacy, medicine, social work, and physician assistant programs across Tennessee participated in an IPE patient case and SDOH in fall 2020 and fall 2021. Pre- and postsurveys included Likert ranking of 16 statements based on the 2011 Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) framework. A total of 607 students completed surveys (overall response rate, 76%). Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were performed on the pre-/postsurvey data, in aggregate and by discipline. Significant increases in all IPEC competency statements were seen, both in aggregate (100% of statements with p < 0.001) and in pharmacy (100% of statements with p < 0.001) and medicine subgroups (94% of statements with p < 0.001). Implementing large virtual IPE activities involving a complex patient case and SDOH significantly increased student IPEC competency outcomes for participating students, whether in aggregate or on a discipline-specific basis.

An interprofessional discharge planning curriculum in the clinical learning environment

Evidence suggests that medical errors are most likely to occur during care transitions, i.e., handoffs from unit to unit or discharge home. Lapses in coordination and communication, poorly delineated professional roles and responsibilities, and lack of patient/family engagement are often associated with resulting patient harm. This manuscript describes a small sample interprofessional learning experience executed within the acute care setting, with the goal of positively affecting Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) competencies, attitudes toward teamwork, and professional role development among nursing and medical students. Nursing and medical students engaged in a 4-week learning activity centered on discharge planning of patients on an inpatient medical-surgical unit. Our project demonstrated not only positive shifts in understanding and attitudes toward teamwork, but also the feasibility of implementing an interprofessional learning activity in the clinical environment.

Improved Self-Assessed Collaboration Through Interprofessional Education: Midwifery Students and Obstetrics and Gynecology Residents Learning Together.

Research suggests that interprofessional education, bringing learners together to learn about, with, and from each other, improves health professions education and can improve health outcomes. Little research has measured outcomes of interprofessional education between midwifery students and obstetrics and gynecology residents. The purpose of this study was to examine self-assessed interprofessional and collaborative competencies among midwifery students and obstetrics and gynecology residents. Baseline self-assessed interprofessional and collaborative competencies were compared with follow-up measurements to evaluate learners' experiences over an 11-month study period. Participants were midwifery students and obstetrics and gynecology residents who experienced interprofessional learning activities. The Interprofessional Education Collaborative Competency Self-Assessment Survey (IPEC Survey) and Interprofessional Collaborative Competency Attainment Survey (ICCAS) were used. Of 256 learners at 4 demonstration sites, 223 (87%) completed the baseline, and 121 of 237 eligible learners (51%) completed the follow-up surveys. The IPEC Survey total score (t = 2.31, P = .02) and interaction subscale (t = 2.85, P = .005) and ICCAS score (t = 4.04, P = .001) increased for midwifery students but not obstetrics and gynecology residents on the IPEC Survey (t = 0.32, P = .75) and ICCAS (t = -0.05, P = .96) measures. Midwifery students (87%) and residents (57%) reported improved overall ability to collaborate. Learners responding to 3 open-ended questions valued team-based experiences, including learning how to communicate with each other; appreciated learning each other's education and scope of practice; and recommended skills development including uncommon clinical events, case discussions, and direct clinical care. This study advanced knowledge about interprofessional education between midwifery students and obstetrics and gynecology residents. Midwifery students improved in self-assessed interprofessional and collaborative competencies. Most learners reported better interprofessional collaboration skills and were positive about future interprofessional learning. This evaluation approach is available for other programs implementing or extending interprofessional education.

Creating Interprofessional Readiness to Advance Age-Friendly U.S. Healthcare.

A successful interprofessional faculty development program was transformed into a more clinically focused professional development opportunity for both faculty and clinicians. Discipline-specific geriatric competencies and the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) competencies were aligned to the 4Ms framework. The goal of the resulting program, Creating Interprofessional Readiness for Complex and Aging Adults (CIRCAA), was to advance an age-friendly practice using evidence-based strategies to support wellness and improve health outcomes while also addressing the social determinants of health (SDOH). An interprofessional team employed a multidimensional approach to create age-friendly, person-centered practitioners. In this mixed methods study, questionnaires were disseminated and focus groups were conducted with two cohorts of CIRCAA scholars to determine their ability to incorporate learned evidence-based strategies into their own practice environments. Themes and patterns were identified among transcribed interview recordings. Multiple coders were used to identify themes and patterns and inter-coder reliability was assessed. The findings indicate that participants successfully incorporated age-friendly principles and best practices into their own work environments and escaped the silos of their disciplines through the implementation of their capstone projects. Quantitative data supported qualitative themes and revealed gains in knowledge of critical components of age-friendly healthcare and perceptions of interprofessional collaborative care. These results are discussed within a new conceptual framework for studying the multidimensional complexity of what it means to be age-friendly. Our findings suggest that programs such as CIRCAA have the potential to improve older adults’ health by addressing SDOH, advancing age-friendly and patient-centered care, and promoting an interprofessional model of evidence-based practice.

Student outcomes from an interprofessional health promotions project

Teams of three students from different health-care disciplines, including pharmacy, nursing, applied exercise and health, and nutrition science researched, designed and delivered health promotion education projects to community-based populations. The Interprofessional Health Promotions Project was designed to expose students to the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) Core Competencies (2016) through a collaborative, interprofessional team-based experience. Students learned about, from, and with each other, while gaining and applying new healthcare knowledge. The students’ learning outcomes were derived from and mapped to the IPEC competencies. Students described successes, challenges, new knowledge learned, and perceived benefits to their audiences. The authors used a mixed methods approach to analyze four semesters of student data gathered through a post-experience questionnaire. Data was mapped within the context of interprofessional values/ethics, roles/responsibilities, communication, and teamwork. Ninety-two percent of students reported this experience as a valuable professional collaboration, and 90% believed they contributed useful, discipline-specific information. Students believed the most valuable benefit to their audience was their ability to provide multi-perspective educational expertise. Although this activity was completed face-to-face, it could be easily adapted for use in a virtual setting. All resources are included as tables or appendices.

Physician Residents Shadowing a Certified WOC Nurse to Develop Interprofessional Competencies: A Quality Improvement Project.

The aim of this quality improvement (QI) project was to assess a shadowing experience with a certified WOC nurse (CWOCN) on 4 interprofessional collaborative practice domains: interprofessional communication, role awareness and responsibilities, teams and teamwork, and values and ethics for interprofessional practice. Forty-nine physician residents in Family and Internal Medicine participated in this project set at a health system in Chicago, Illinois. Residents spent 16 hours shadowing a CWOCN and completed the Interprofessional Education Collaborative Competency Self-Assessment Tool (IPESAT) pre- and postshadowing that measured 4 interprofessional education (IPE) domains: interprofessional communication, role awareness and responsibilities, teams and teamwork, and values and ethics for interprofessional practice. Paired t tests were performed to determine differences in IPESAT scores before and after the shadowing experience. Residents demonstrated significant improvement in their overall knowledge of IPE (P = .000) as well as knowledge within each of the 4 domains (P = .000). After the shadowing experience, the overall ranking improved by 7.5%; the greatest gain (10.8%) occurred in the teamwork domain. We found that even a comparatively brief shadowing experience with a CWOCN improved knowledge in IPE competencies. The shadowing experience is now permanently part of the Internal Medicine Residency program, and based on these IPE outcomes, other residency programs in our setting, such as the Rehabilitation and Family Medicine program, have increased their requests to shadow with the CWOCN.

Mapping student perceptions of experiential interprofessional learning to the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) competencies

IntroductionIntroductory pharmacy practice experiences (IPPEs) and advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs) provide opportunities for interprofessional education (IPE) in doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) programs by facilitating student engagement with other healthcare professionals. It is unknown how well these experiences align with competencies required for interprofessional collaborative practice. This study describes the alignment of student reflections from experiential rotations with the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) competencies. MethodsFollowing completion of experiential rotations from June 2017 to August 2019, a retrospective analysis of IPE surveys submitted by students was performed to assess types of interprofessional interactions and alignment of student reflections with IPEC competencies. ResultsA total of 1360 surveys were analyzed. More than 75% of all PharmD students enrolled in IPPEs or APPEs during the study period completed at least one survey. Across all experiences, survey responses mapped to IPEC competencies at the following rates: Values/Ethics (25%), Roles/Responsibilities (48%), Interprofessional Communication (36%), and Teams/Teamwork (48%). More reflections from inpatient experiences, compared to outpatient experiences, aligned with Roles/Responsibilities and Teams/Teamwork, while fewer inpatient experience reflections aligned with Interprofessional Communication. Active engagement with other health professions increased as students progressed from IPPEs to APPEs. ConclusionsAs PharmD students progress through the experiential curriculum, they engage with IPEC competencies during each professional year. Inpatient and outpatient experiences may highlight different aspects of the IPEC competencies and advanced rotations are more likely to facilitate active engagement with other healthcare professionals.