Need For Interprofessional Education Research Articles

Critical Care Clinicians' Knowledge of Post-Intensive Care Syndrome.

The term post-intensive care syndrome refers to a group of symptoms that commonly occur after intensive care unit discharge, leading to worsening physical or mental health. The incidence of this syndrome is increasing. Critical care clinicians can play a pivotal role in improving patient outcomes through knowledge of post-intensive care syndrome risk factors and symptoms. To explore critical care clinicians' current knowledge of post-intensive care syndrome as a basis for developing critical care educational interventions. This quantitative, cross-sectional, observational pilot study was conducted to survey critical care physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants at a university hospital on their knowledge of post-intensive care syndrome symptoms and risk factors and their confidence in their ability to recognize the condition. A total of 51 clinicians completed the survey. The overall levels of knowledge and confidence regarding post-intensive care syndrome risk factors and symptoms were low, with no significant differences found by clinician role. These findings support the need for interprofessional education on post-intensive care syndrome risk factors and early identification of symptoms in the critical care setting.

Toward a Comprehensive Model of Medical-Dental-Behavioral Integration.

Existing models of medical-dental integration, as well as those from behavioral health care integrated with primary medical treatment, provide a basis for a truly synthesized and expanded model incorporating medical, dental, and behavioral components. Such a comprehensive model allows for collaborative health care serving patients seamlessly without disciplinary silos, promoting optimal whole-person health. This innovative approach is consistent with recent developments in the behavioral and social oral health sciences that include an imperative for their full inclusion in dental health care, research, and education. Existing models of medical-dental integration are described, along with current models from integrated primary medical and behavioral health care. Using these existing approaches as a basis, a new multilevel model is proposed to include social and cultural determinants of health. Contemporary approaches to providing health care across disciplines include referral to a geographically separate entity, co-location of services, and integrated, side-by-side care. Integration of electronic health records and interoperability are necessary (but not sufficient) factors that affect transdisciplinary health care. Effective communication among health care providers and the need for interprofessional education, comprehensive training, and ongoing cross-disciplinary consultation also are noted as crucial factors in truly collaborative care. Evidence for existing models varies greatly depending on the target population and type of services provided. A fully integrated, transdisciplinary model of health care is possible, theoretically and practically. Combining aspects of extant integrated models and extending them provides opportunity for a greater focus on systemic factors and more emphasis on prevention. Consistent with this new model, medical and dental home concepts can be expanded to that of a person-centered health care home that includes interprofessional practice. This transdisciplinary approach contributes to greater health equity given the multilevel approach. Multidirectional integration of diverse disciplines representing the various realms of medicine, dentistry, and behavioral health care is essential for optimal health of all. This article can be used by clinicians, scientists, administrators, and policy makers in developing and implementing integrated systems of care that provide for patients' medical, dental, and behavioral health needs.

Assessing Oral Health Content in Non-dental Professional Association Websites in India: A Cross-Sectional Study.

There is a growing need for inter-professional education (IPE) to reduce the burden of oral diseases and address oral health disparities. Professional websites associated with inter-professional education can serve as a reliable source of information about oral health. Hence, the study was conducted to determine the prevalence of oral health content on non-dental health professional associations' websites in India. Eighty-nine organizations were selected from five types of health professional associations. Six dental search terms were used on searchable websites. The keywords were dental, oral, dentistry, mouth, teeth, and fluoride. Websites were assessed for any oral health content. Only four websites (4.5%) had any oral health content, and all four were physician-related. The study highlights the limited and inconsistent oral health content on non-dental professional association websites. Improving the availability, accuracy, and comprehensiveness of oral health information on these platforms is crucial to enhancing oral health literacy and promoting better oral health outcomes.

Attitude and perception of medical and nursing undergraduates and faculty towards simulation-enhanced interprofessional education at an institute in India

Background The need for interprofessional education (IPE) has been recognized on the basis of compromised patient care due to ineffective communication and teamwork among healthcare providers. Using Simulation to enhance IPE has been advocated to achieve the competencies required for effective interprofessional collaborative practice. However, the implementation of this powerful tool and its integration into Indian medical education are a relatively recent development, gradually gaining momentum in recent years. Purpose This study was undertaken to assess the attitudes and perceptions of a group of Indian medical and nursing undergraduates and faculty towards simulation-enhanced interprofessional education (Sim-IPE) before introducing this module at the institute. Methods A descriptive correlational design was conducted using the KidSIMTM ATTITUDES scale on a convenient sample of 82 students and faculty of medical and nursing colleges. Results The total scores for the 30-item questionnaire revealed an overall positive attitude towards IPE and Simulation as a learning modality. Analysis of variance tests revealed lesser scores for students when compared to faculty. Conclusions A positive attitude towards Sim-IPE by students and faculty is promising, and it is the first step towards integrating Sim-IPE into the undergraduate curriculum in India.

Measuring Veterinarian Professions' Readiness for Interprofessional Learning in a Pre- and Post-Intervention Study.

The integration of interprofessional collaboration is becoming increasingly crucial in veterinary care settings, emphasising the need for interprofessional education (IPE) in veterinary programmes. This study explores the readiness for interprofessional learning among German veterinary students, apprentices and related occupations before and after an interprofessional communication course. It assesses the impact of this course on the participants' attitudes using the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS). The course, offered in two iterations, combined asynchronous online modules, live seminars and practical training elements. The RIPLS was administered before and after the course to gauge attitude shifts towards interprofessional learning. Statistical analyses, including McNemar, Cohen's Kappa and exact Fisher tests, were employed to compare pre- and post-test responses. Despite challenges in participant linking, significant findings emerged between the student and apprentice groups in specific areas of the RIPLS, notably in the "Professional Identity" subscale post-course. However, correlations between face-to-face contact and RIPLS ratings were not observed, suggesting a need for more integrated interprofessional learning experiences. While some limitations in sample size and profession distribution hinder generalisability, this study indicates a high receptiveness to interprofessional learning in veterinary education, emphasising the potential for attitude changes with more interactive participation and programme adjustments.

Achieving the unachievable: the development of a large-scale interprofessional education workshop for first-year health professional students. Developing a large-scale interprofessional education workshop

he need for interprofessional education within healthcare education is widely accepted, yet healthcare educators continue to grapple with the challenges associated with integrating authentic interprofessional learning activities within curricula. Timetabling conflicts, shortage of teaching spaces, geographical separation, the need for educator training, varying assessment needs, lack of organisational commitment, and suboptimal attitude by faculties towards Interprofessional Education, continue to be identified as barriers making it seemingly unachievable by many. We describe an introductory Interprofessional Education workshop that was successfully delivered to over 2600 first-year health students across 13 health disciplines at an Australian university, demonstrating how as a team of interprofessional educators we achieved the unachievable, successfully overcoming many of the obstacles to IPE. We outline the importance of authentic learning activities constructively aligned to learning outcomes and assessment, and the necessity of student, early facilitator, and faculty engagement, to overcome logistical and practical challenges. Finally, we discuss the changes to the workshop necessitated COVID-19, and future challenges and directions.

Primary care in the world of integrated care systems: education and training for general practice

Here, we discuss the required education and training for the emergent and evolving roles of GPs and other healthcare professionals within Integrated Care Systems (ICSs). We underscore the importance of collaborative skills for all medical specialties, and the need for interprofessional education and leadership development in undergraduate and postgraduate medical training. We also argue for a paradigm shift in medical education, away from traditional siloed approaches and toward comprehensive training that prepares practitioners to excel in integrated and multidisciplinary healthcare environments, within which expert generalists (GPs) and specialists collaborate in individual patient care and concurrently co-develop innovative system pathways for chronic medical conditions, including complexity and frailty. We highlight the need to align workforce development with evolving healthcare systems and the existing obstacles hindering this alignment.

Interprofessional Education: Let’s Listen to the Students

The inclusion of interprofessional education (IPE) within the pre-registration curricular is a way to promote interprofessional collaboration. Interprofessional education is increasingly supported by academic organisations and service providers, but pre-registration professional education is still often conducted within professional silos, which may compromise the collaborative ideal. During a socialisation activity as part of an IPE intervention, pre-registration nursing (NS=94) and medical students (MS=126) were invited to anonymously write down on a post-it note a question they wanted to address to the healthcare profession other than their own. These questions (NS=77 and MS=89) were then discussed in a facilitated interprofessional group session. Using a qualitative approach, the written data was subsequently inductively analysed using descriptive thematic analysis. The three main themes that were identified were knowledge, perceptions and relationships. More specifically, these themes explored a lack of knowledge of each profession, misperceptions and a desire to develop professional relationships. The questions that students asked in this study validates the need for IPE which is to learn with, from, and about each other. Reducing these knowledge gaps and misunderstandings should be the first stage in interprofessional learning and improving communication and teamwork. Te reo Māori translation Te akoranga whakawhiti umanga: Kia whakarongo tātou ki ngā ākonga Ngā Ariā Matua Ko te whakaurunga o te akoranga whakawhiti umanga (IPE) i roto i ngā marautanga i mua i te rēhita tētahi huarahi whakatairanga i te pāhekoheko whakawhiti umanga. E piki haere tonu ana te tautoko i te akoranga whakawhiti umanga e ngā rōpū mātauranga hōhonu me ngā kaihora ratonga, engari kawea tonutia ai ngā akoranga umanga i mua i te rēhita i roto i ngā wehenga umanga motuhake, e āraia ai pea te hiahia kia pāhekoheko ēnei umanga. I roto i tētahi ngohe whakahoahoa hei wāhanga o tētahi haukotinga akoranga whakawhiti umanga, i pōwhiritia matataputia ētahi akonga tapuhi i mua i te rēhita (NS=94) me ētahi ākonga tākuta (MS=126) kia tuhi tātou i tētahi pātai e hiahia ana rātou kia tukua ki te umanga hauora, hāunga tō rātou umanga ake, ki tētahi maramara pepa tāpiri. I matapakitia ēnei pātai (77 mai i ngā ākonga tapuhi, ā, 89 mai i ngā ākonga tākuta) i roto i tētahi wātū matapaki ā-rōpū whakawhiti umanga i āta arahina. Nā te whakamahi i ētahi huarahi kounga, i tātaritia torowhānuitia ngā raraunga tuhi i muri, nā te whakamahi tātari tāhuhu whakaahua. Ko ngā tāhuhu matua e toru i tautohutia ko te mātauranga, ko ngā kitenga me ngā hononga. Me kī, i tūhura ia tāhuhu pēnei i te korenga o te mōhiotanga ki ia umanga, ki ngā kitenga hē, me te hiahia kia whakapakaritia ngā hononga ngaio. Nā ngā pātai i tukua e ngā ākonga i tēnei rangahau, ka kitea te tika o te ako a ngā kaupapa akoranga whakawhiti umanga kia ako i te taha o ia rōpū, mai i ia rōpū, kia ako mō ia rōpū anō hoki. Me noho ko te whakahekenga o ēnei āputa mōhiotanga me ngā māramatanga hē hei hīkoi tuatahi mō te akoranga whakawhiti mōhiotanga, me te whakapiki i te whakawhitinga kōrero me te mahi hei tira. Ngā kupu matua: pāhekoheko, whakawhiti kōrero, akoranga whakawhiti umanga, ngā ākonga tākuta, ngā ākonga tapuhi, i mua o te rēhita, te whakahoahoa.

Interprofessional Education in Health Informatics (IPEHI) for Health Sciences Programs.

Given the significant changes the healthcare system has undergone recently; information technology has become an indispensable tool. To properly train future healthcare providers, it is vital to introduce information technology courses in Health Sciences programs. The provision of healthcare services now requires teamwork, which has led to the need for interprofessional education in health sciences schools. Therefore, this study explores the necessity of introducing Interprofessional Education in Health Informatics (IPEHI) in health sciences programs. Additionally, the structure and content of the course were assessed. A mixed-method approach was employed in this study to explore the need for health informatics interprofessional education among individuals with a health-related science background and who possessed health informatics expertise through work experience or formal post-graduation education. Following a cross-sectional survey-based study, expert subjects from academia and the workplace were convened for Delphi meetings to create an IPEHI course founded on the CAHIIM competency framework. 128 questionnaires were collected from three cities in Saudi Arabia. Of all the respondents, 80% agreed that the present health sciences education should be expanded. Additionally, 74% of them agreed that the proposed IPE-HI (Interprofessional Education in Health Informatics) would enhance their knowledge and positively impact the healthcare system. During the second phase, eight experts were invited to identify seven domains, which include health information science and technology, social, behavioral and information science and technology applied to health, information science and technology, leadership, social and behavioral aspects of health, professionalism, and interprofessional collaborative practice. The results emphasize the need for introducing an IPE-HI, as previous studies have also shown that educating health professionals in health information technology is crucial. IPEHI plays a crucial role in producing competent health science graduates. Consequently, experts have developed and validated a proposed IPE-HI course.

A Modular Approach to Interprofessional Concussion Education and Assessment for Athletic Training and Nursing Students

Context Due to the complexity of concussion evaluation and management and the growing demand for interprofessional collaborative practice in health care, the need for interprofessional education (IPE) among professional health care programs has become increasingly important. Objective This IPE technique provides athletic training and nursing students with an opportunity to apply knowledge of professional roles and uses collective clinical reasoning to navigate a multifaceted case scenario with a patient who sustained a concussion. Background With the emphasis of IPE in professional health care programs, both athletic training and nursing programs accrediting bodies have adopted standards that require the implementation of IPE within the curriculum. Description of Techniques This IPE event uses a modular and scaffolding teaching approach to gradually introduce new developments into the patient case in a sequential manner to increase fidelity. Advantage(s) By using this approach, students will have the opportunity to meet the objectives for each module before moving on to the next. Additionally, students will develop professional relationships over time within the collaboration of professional groups. Conclusion(s) Use of this IPE technique affords athletic training and nursing students the opportunity to develop the professional skills required to engage in interprofessional collaborative practice and improve patient outcomes.

The effect of COVID-19 patient care and emergency response interprofessional training on COVID-19 knowledge, perception, behavior and readiness for care.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for Interprofessional Education (IPE) and collaborative practices have gained even more importance. The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of IPE on COVID-19 on students' knowledge, perceptions, behaviors and readiness for care regarding COVID-19. The study followed a single-group pre-/post-test semi-experimental research design. The sample consisted of 435 students studying Elderly Care/Home Patient Care/First and Emergency Aid programs. The students' perception of interdisciplinary education was evaluated at the beginning of the study. The students were given an online COVID-19 Patient Care and Emergency Response IPE that lasted five hours and was split into two parts. The perception of interdisciplinary education was significantly higher among female students and first and emergency students before receiving IPE. Before and after IPE, the knowledge level scores of the students who did not receive IPE were found to be higher than those who did. After the training, the students' knowledge levels, readiness for care and their perceptions of control towards the COVID-19 pandemic increased statistically significantly (p < 0.001). The students' knowledge levels and perceptions of control surrounding the pandemic may grow as a result of the IPE given about COVID-19 during the pandemic, when IPE became more important, and students may feel more prepared to care.

Educating nurses caring for paediatric inflammatory bowel disease patients receiving biologics: the impact of a virtual event

Background: A virtual educational and networking event took place for registered nurses caring for administering biologic therapy in paediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) patients and their families. The aim was to establish the level of self-reported competencies of the nurses and to evaluate the impact that the event had on them. Methods: Participants were requested to complete an online questionnaire before and after the interprofessional education event. Results: Some 21 pre–event questionnaires were completed. Of these, 81% (17) reported no previous relevant training, 20% (4) did not feel competent in the administration of biologics and patient monitoring and 29% (6) did not feel competent to meet the patient's holistic needs. A total of 13 post-event evaluations were completed. All (13) agreed/strongly agreed with feeling more competent in caring for patients and 84.7% (11) agreed/strongly agreed with feeling more competent in administering and monitoring the biologic therapy. A total of 77% (10) of participants could identify changes to their practice post-event. Conclusion: This study highlighted the need for interprofessional education for nurses caring for paediatric inflammatory bowel disease patients, particularly where care is delivered in district general hospitals. Feedback demonstrated that virtual educational events are effective in raising self-reported nursing competencies and in ensuring high standards of practice.

Exploring the Frameworks, Needs, and Barriers of Interprofessional Education and Simulation in Emergency Medicine.

This manuscript focuses on interprofessional education (IPE) using simulation and its use between emergency department and emergency medical services personnel. It explores the theoretical frameworks behind IPE and applies them to simulation-based emergency medical services education. There is a notable lack of research on the use of IPE using simulation between these 2 professions. The need for IPE using simulation as well as barriers and recommendations to remove the barriers are discussed.

The impact of three years application of the Health Care Team Challenge on inter-professional collaborative practice: A realist evaluation approach

Literature suggests that there are positive outcomes from Interprofessional Practice and Education (IPE) concerning changes in attitude, knowledge and skills, yet there is limited evidence about changes in professional behaviour and patient outcomes. The Singapore Ministry of Health highlighted the significance of IPE in 2010, and it was then incorporated into respective health professional programmes. To use realist evaluation methodology to explore and understand the impact of a three-year implementation of the Health Care Team Challenge (HCTC) underpinned by interprofessional practice and education principles upon health professionals’ practice at the National University Hospital (NUH) of Singapore. Ten semi-structured interviews were conducted to explore participants’ views of the HCTC. The findings resonated with other international studies, and in addition, the impact of local culture was discussed and compared with other Asian studies. Following realist evaluation, two working hypotheses evolved from the totality of the study. This study suggested a positive impact of the HCTC and indicated the need for interprofessional education to occur within post-graduate education and continuing professional development for health care professionals. This study offers a reference point for other teams keen to review and refine team functioning.

Agreement of medicine and pharmacy students on quality of drug information

Objective: Drug information responses are usually given by pharmacists to physicians. These responses are intended to improve interprofessional care and patient outcomes. This study was conducted to assess if medicine and pharmacy students agree on the quality of drug information responses. Methods: All patient or population-specific responses created in 2021 by the pharmacy students during their final year drug information rotation at Thumbay University Hospital, United Arab Emirates were evaluated by three pharmacy students and a medical student of the next cohort. In 2021, a total of 148 patient or population-focused drug information responses were prepared. A content-validated assessment rubric with seven elements was used to assess each drug information response in 2022. SPSS version 26 was used to assess agreement between pharmacy and medicine students using Kappa statistics. Results: Quality of drug information was rated high (very much and rather much combined) by pharmacy and medicine students in a range of 61% to 90% for all quality elements. The same ratings of medicine and pharmacy students (agreement) were observed at more than 50% only for three quality elements between two pharmacy students with the medical student. Poor agreement exists between medicine and pharmacy students on their rating of the quality of drug information (Kappa &lt;0.7). Some of these kappa coefficients had a p-value less than 0.05. Conclusion: Both medicine and pharmacy students rated drug information reports as of reasonable quality, but their agreements were poor on the quality of drug information. It shows the need for interprofessional education in experiential learning. Agreement on quality of drug information responses improved after the students completed an interprofessional drug information task. The authors recommend a full drug information rotation of medicine and pharmacy students.

Faculty members’ readiness for interprofessional education

Introduction: Healthcare is a complex system that requires collaboration across health professions. However, a plethora of reports has identified poor communication and collaboration within healthcare teams which could lead to patient safety issues. Interprofessional education (IPE) is an educational strategy to promote communication and collaboration between healthcare professionals. Despite knowing the readiness among students, opinions among faculty members regarding the need for IPE at UPH (Universitas Pelita Harapan) have yet to be examined despite the important roles of both students and faculties in developing an IPE curriculum. This study aimed to investigate the readiness among medical and nursing faculty members in establishing an IPE curriculum at UPH. Methods: This study applied a quantitative study design using the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) by Parsell and Bligh (1999) which was translated to Indonesian and tested for its validity and reliability. The translated RIPLS questionnaire was administered to a total of 60 participants which consisted of 30 nursing and 30 medical faculty members. Subsequently, both descriptive and Mann-Whitney statistical analyses were conducted. Results: Findings revealed a statistically significant difference between the IPE scores (RIPLS) of nursing faculties and medical faculties (U = 652, z = 3.028; p = 0.012, r = 0.390). This demonstrates that the nursing faculty members (Median 4.30) indicated a higher level of readiness or more positive attitude towards IPE compared to the medical faculty members (Median 4.07). Conclusions: This study highlights that faculty members have a positive attitude or readiness toward IPE, with nursing faculties indicating higher levels of readiness than their counterparts in the medical faculty. Further exploration using a qualitative method is also important to understand the faculty members’ readiness for IPE as well as the commitments of faculty members and leadership on delivering IPE.

Including Qualified Medical Interpreters in Perinatal Loss Education

End-of-life (EOL) training for qualified medical interpreters (QMIs) is frequently overlooked; there is need for interprofessional education that includes QMIs.

N10 The impact of an educational and networking event on nurses caring for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) paediatric patients receiving biologic therapy

Abstract Background Biologic therapies usage is increasing across the United Kingdom. Gastroenterology departments and all stakeholders need to continuously update their knowledge and practice to the safe use of this therapy (IBD Standards, 2013). Paediatric gastroenterology services in tertiary hospitals often cover a wide geographical region and deliver care in collaboration with district general hospitals closer to the child’s home. A virtual educational and networking event was developed in order to deliver interprofessional education (IPE) and facilitate networking for nurses caring for IBD paediatric patients receiving biologic therapy in two large regions of the United Kingdom (South West of England and South Wales). The aim of this study was to establish the level of self-reported competencies of nurses involved in the administration of biologic therapy in paediatric IBD patients and to evaluate the impact that the event had on the self-reported competency of the participants and their practice. Methods The event compromised a range of relevant topics and it was delivered by experts in the field in a virtual platform and using a range of participant interacting virtual tools. Participants were requested to complete an online questionnaire before and after the event. It was open to registered nurses working in paediatric community and/or day care settings, and caring for paediatric IBD patients receiving biologic therapy. Results There were 21 participants registered to attend the event that completed a pre –event questionnaire. 55% (11) of the participants had more than 5 years’ experience in post. 81% (17) reported no previous formal training on paediatric IBD and biologic therapy. 19.9% did not feel competent in the administration of biologic therapy and monitoring of the patient; and 28.6% did not feel competent to meet the holistic needs of the patient and their family. After the event, a total of 13 completed evaluations were received. All participants (13) reported feeling more competent in caring for paediatric IBD patients receiving biologic therapy and their families; and 84.7% felt more competent in administering and monitoring biologic therapy. All comments relating to the event were very positive and 10 participants could identify changes to make to their own clinical practice directly related from attending this event. Conclusion This study highlighted the need for IPE for nurses caring for paediatric IBD patients, particularly where care is delivered in district general hospitals. Feedback demonstrated that virtual educational events are effective in raising self-reported nursing competencies and in ensuring high standards of practice related to biologic therapy.

A Focus on Methodology: A Mixed-Methods Approach to Conduct a Comprehensive Evaluation of the Need for One Health Education for Medical and Veterinary Students in the Context of COVID-19.

Background:The collaboration of health professionals across the interface of human, animal and environmental health, as embodied by the One Health concept (OH), is increasingly recognised as crucial for tackling diseases such as Ebola and COVID-19. This study was conducted prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, but in light of the current pandemic, the outcomes of this study highlight the need for educating Medical (MD) and Veterinary (DVM) students on the principles of OH. The purpose of this study was to determine the need for Interprofessional Education (IPE) initiatives that would familiarise MD and DVM students with the principles of OH, crucial to dissolving the siloes that have historically deterred collaboration.Method:We used a sequential explanatory Methods Research (MMR) approach design to evaluate the readiness of 428 students consisting of MD, DVM and dual degree Master of Public Health (MPH) students (MD/MPH, DVM/MPH) for IPE, as well as to obtain faculty perspectives across these disciplines, on the need for curricula inclusion of IPE and OH. Two methods of data collection were employed: A survey and 2 focus groups interviews.Results:The use of an MMR approach allowed us to comprehensively evaluate the need for OH education through the lenses of the students and faculty using a joint display that facilitated data integration and evaluation. Overall, the dual degree students had the greatest readiness for IPE, and MD students the lowest level of readiness for shared learning. The dual degree students had the most accurate understanding of OH competencies that consider the impacts of climate change, food security, antimicrobial resistance, health policy formation and zoonoses occurrence on human health. Themes derived from the focus group interviews revealed that faculty perceived OH education as crucial for preparing MD and DVM students for practice.Conclusion:The comprehensive assessment of the student and faculty perspectives, obtained using an MMR approach, illustrated that the incorporation of OH competencies within the MD and DVM curricula are crucial for preparing students for practice in the global environment. The dual degree pathway provides insight into how OH can be successfully incorporated within the curricula of these programmes.

A Biopsychosocial-Ecological Framework for Family-Framed Dementia Care.

The biopsychosocial model has been applied through collaborative care dementia models to the diagnosis, symptom management, and treatment of dementia with a focus specifically on the person with dementia. Because individuals with dementia are increasingly dependent upon others particularly as the illness advances, dementia care requires the involvement and commitment of others, usually family, along with support from community-based resources. Hence, the quality and effectiveness of a person's dementia care are shaped in large part by the foundation of family relationships and the social and community networks in which they are embedded. While most current dementia care models incorporate biopsychosocial principles and recognize the essential role that family members play as caregivers, they fail to consider a patient's family system and relationships as potential risk factors or social determinants for care outcomes. This paper introduces a biopsychosocial-ecological framework to dementia care that is person-centered and “family-framed” in that it targets factors that influence care considerations at both the individual and relational levels of the social ecological networks that the patient and their family members occupy. We use this model to illustrate how current dementia care practices tend to focus exclusively on the individual patient and caregiver levels but fail to identify and address important relational considerations that cut across levels. We call for the need to add assessment of family relational histories of persons with dementia and family members who care for them in order to better meet the needs of the patient and the caregiver and to prevent harm. This model accentuates the need for interprofessional education on family assessments and caregiver-centered care, as well as interdisciplinary, collaborative models of dementia care that assume more accountability for meeting the needs of family caregivers in addition to those of persons with dementia.