Interprofessional education as a potential foundation for future team-based prevention of alcohol use disorder.

BACKGROUND: Effective screening of alcohol use and prevention of alcohol use disorder (AUD) requires the continuous preparation of educated and confident providers across all health professions who will ideally work in close collaboration in their future practices. As one mechanism for achieving this goal, the development and provision of interprofessional education (IPE) training modules for health care students may cultivate beneficial interactions among future health providers early in their formative education. METHODS: In the present study, we assessed attitudes about alcohol and confidence in screening and AUD prevention in 459 students at our health sciences center. Students represented ten different health professions (audiology, cardiovascular sonography, dental hygiene, dentistry, medicine, nursing, physical therapy, public health, respiratory therapy, and speech language pathology programs). For purposes of this exercise, students were divided into small, professionally diverse teams. Responses to ten survey questions (Likert scale) were collected via a web-based platform. These assessments were collected before and after a case-based exercise that provided information to students on the risks of excessive alcohol use as well as the effective screening and team-based management of individuals susceptible to AUD. RESULTS: Wilcoxon signed-rank analyses revealed that the exercise led to significant decreases in stigma toward individuals engaging in at-risk alcohol use. We also discovered significant increases in self-reported knowledge and confidence in personal qualifications needed to initiate brief interventions to reduce alcohol use. Focused analyses of students from individual health programs uncovered unique improvements according to question theme and health profession. CONCLUSION: Our findings demonstrate the utility and effectiveness of single, focused IPE-based exercises to impact personal attitudes and confidence in young health professions learners. While additional longitudinal cohort follow-up studies are needed, these results may translate into more effective and collaborative AUD treatment in future clinical settings.

An exploratory, cross-sectional and multi-institutional study using three instruments to examine student perceptions of interprofessional education.

Interprofessional education (IPE) research needs to expand beyond single site, single event inquiry. Multi-institutional studies increase methodologic rigor and generalizability, advancing the pedagogical science of IPE. Four U.S. institutions used three different validated measures to examine early learner interprofessional outcomes. The three assessment tools included the Communication and Teamwork subscale of the University of West England Entry Level Interprofessional Questionnaire (UWE-ELIQ), the Self-Assessed Collaboration Skills (SACS), and the Interprofessional Teamwork and Team-based Practice factor of the Student Perceptions of Interprofessional Clinical Education-Revised, version 2 (SPICE-R2). Across the four institutions, 659 eligible participants, representing 19 programs completed the pre-survey, and 385 completed the post-survey. The UWE-ELIQ showed a statistically significant difference between the pre- and post-survey overall, but the effect size was small. One institution demonstrated a positive change in scores on the UWE-ELIQ with a small effect size, while the other institutions saw no significant change. Two institutions observed lower post-survey scores on the SPICE-R2. Cumulative results from the study indicated no statistically significant change from pre- to post- in total SACS or SPICE-R2 scores. Additional multi-site longitudinal research is needed to investigate use of validated instruments, as well as the impact of curricula and learning environment on educational outcomes.

Early-learners' expectations of and experience with IPE: A multi-institutional qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Multi-institutional qualitative studies are scarce within the interprofessional education (IPE) literature; such a report would provide comprehensive evidence for the application of interprofessional instruction among earlier learners. OBJECTIVE: This investigation explored students' expectations of and barriers to introductory IPE across four institutions. DESIGN: Qualitative inductive content analysis was utilized to interpret students' narrative responses to assigned pre- and post-survey questions. SETTING: Health science schools of four U.S. institutions at Institution A, Institution B, Institution C, and Institution D. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-two percent (n = 385) of eligible participants completed both pre- and post-surveys. Nursing student participation was greatest (n = 113, 33%), followed by occupational therapy (n = 44, 13%), and physical therapy (n = 36, 10%). All other program participation was <10%. In total, students' narrative comments from 19 degree programs were a part of the data set. METHODS: Responses from one pre-survey question on expectations of introductory IPE and two post-survey questions on IPE benefits and barriers were studied using qualitative inductive thematic analysis. RESULTS: Four themes emerged as IPE learning expectations and benefits: my own professional role, professional role of others, teamwork, and communication. The theme of interacting with peers surfaced as an additional IPE benefit. There were four themes noted as IPE barriers: course logistics, lack of context, course content, and social dynamics. CONCLUSION: This multi-institutional qualitative study adds to the literature by providing empirical evidence regarding early learner perceptions of IPE experiences. Student expectations and benefits of their introductory IPE course/curriculum aligned. Perceived barriers are useful in informing future IPE implementation and research.

Long-term impact of a single interprofessional education high-fidelity simulation experience: a pilot study.

The interprofessional education (IPE) simulation literature lacks research assessing long-term IPE outcomes. During the 2018-19 and 2019-20 academic year, third year and fourth year medical students, respectively, engaged in an IPE simulation experience focused on cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Students completed the Interprofessional Collaborative Competencies Attainment Survey. There was a statistically significant positive change (p<0.05) in student perceptions of their interprofessional collaborative skills immediately following a single IPE simulation activity for both third and fourth year students. However, a statistically significant decline in means was noted from third year post-questions to fourth year pre-questions. A single annual IPE simulation activity may not be sufficient to support students in building confidence in their collaborative skills without regression.

Improving stereotypes: The impact of interprofessional education in pre-health students.

Research within interprofessional education (IPE) indicates health professional students hold stereotypes of other health professions at all stages within their academic journey. IPE can minimize negative stereotypes and influence a student's willingness and readiness to collaborate with others. This article explores undergraduate pre-health student stereotypes of various health professionals at the beginning and end of a six-week summer academic enrichment program, which included IPE. Convenience sampling was used to request participation in a survey, which included the Student Stereotypes Ratings Questionnaire (SSRQ). The SSRQ asks students to rate their perception of health professions on multiple traits. One hundred pre-health students across three institutions completed the SSRQ. The mean scores across all professions and all traits increased post-survey. Lowest pre-mean scores were for nursing (the ability to work independently and the ability to lead a team) and registered dietitian (the ability to lead a team). The highest pre-mean score was for the physician profession for academic ability. Results from this study indicate varying levels of stereotypes have already developed in pre-health students. After the six-week program, pre-health students' perceptions of health professions were positively affected. Data from this study indicates there are benefits to exposing pre-health students to IPE.

Assessing dental student perceptions after engaging in a longitudinal interprofessional education curriculum: A preliminary study.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: Baseline IPE perceptions for dental students were gathered prior to the implementation of a 2-year formalised IPE curriculum at a US institution. The goal was to establish a baseline of student perceptions and, in the future, continue to track student IPE perception data with IPE engagement as one measure of outcomes. The purpose of this paper is to analyse two dental student cohort perceptions of IPE after engaging in a 2-year longitudinal curriculum. METHODS: First- and second-year students were required to participate in a 2-year IPE curriculum. As a requirement of the curriculum, students were asked to complete a validated IPE assessment, the Student Perceptions of Interprofessional Clinical Education-Revised instrument, version 2 (SPICE-R2). Students completed the SPICE-R2 survey, using a retrospective pretest/post-test design, after engaging in the 2-year curriculum. RESULTS: Sixty-four students in cohort 2017 and 70 students in cohort 2018 completed the entire SPICE-R2. Statistically significant positive changes (p < .05) were found in both dental student cohorts after engagement in the 2-year longitudinal IPE curriculum. CONCLUSION(S): A longitudinal IPE curriculum has the potential to impact student IPE perceptions. Additional longitudinal multi-institutional research is needed to determine best practices in delivery and learning.

Measuring Student Interprofessional Skills in the Roles/Responsibilities Competency.

PURPOSE: To assess students' perceptions and knowledge of interprofessional collaborative practice related to the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) Roles/Responsibilities (RRs) competency after engagement in interprofessional education experiences. METHODS: Thirty physician assistant students were surveyed 3 times during the clinical year to assess the level of collaborative engagement with 5 professions. The level of engagement was assessed utilizing a 5-point Likert scale, and an open-ended question measured student knowledge of other professionals' roles. RESULTS: Student responses indicated that the level of engagement was greatest during the first clinical semester overall for all 3 levels of engagement. An increase in the level of engagement was noted for 2 professions over the one-year study period. Students also provided examples of opportunities where they relied on the expertise of another profession during the clinical rotation year. CONCLUSION: Study results confirm student acquisition of 2 IPEC RR subcompetencies during clinical rotations. However, there remains a gap in correlating interprofessional education with interprofessional collaborative practice.

Knowledge gains in a professional development workshop on diversity, equity, inclusion, and implicit bias in academia.

As literature indicates, historic racism and implicit bias throughout academia have been profound metrics leading to a lack of diversity, as related to people from underrepresented groups according to race and ethnicity, among biomedical sciences graduate students in U.S. universities. Recognizing such challenges, a team of biomedical scientists and inclusivity educators developed and implemented a pilot training program within an academic health sciences center as an initial step to educate faculty and staff regarding their roles in the promotion of an inclusive academic environment, receptive to all students, including underrepresented students. The 3-h workshop included didactic modules, videos, teaching modules, and active attendee participation. Faculty and staff were presented common terminology and ways to promote the development of an inclusive and diverse academic workforce. Compared with pre-workshop, post-workshop survey results indicated a statistically significant improvement in attendee knowledge of correctly identifying definitions of "implicit bias," "status leveling," "color-blind racial attitudes," "tokenism," and "failure to differentiate." Additionally, by the end of the workshop, participants had a statistically significant increase in self-perceptions regarding the importance of improving diversity and recognizing biases and stereotypes in graduate education, knowing what to say when interacting with people from different cultures, and the ability to acknowledge bias when mentoring students from groups underrepresented in the biomedical field. This preliminary initiative was successful in the introduction of faculty and staff to the importance of fostering an inclusive academic environment and thereby developing a diverse workforce.

Utilizing Shared Expertise Across Contexts to Engage in Multi-institutional Interprofessional Scholarship.

Interprofessional education (IPE) research has grown dramatically, but it has primarily occurred at single institutions/contexts with unique assessment tools. Comparing pedagogical approaches and assessment tools across contexts and learner levels is necessary to advance the educational preparation of "collaborative-ready" health professionals. One common thread through IPE initiatives is a learning experience that introduces students to the basic tenets of professional roles, communication and collaboration. Commonly accepted objectives focus on competencies such as those defined by the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC). The IPE Research Collaborative (IPE-RC) brings together researchers from four universities that deliver introductory interprofessional learning experiences seeking to leverage this relationship to improve IPE research in support of collaborative person-centered quality healthcare. Donabedian's quality improvement (QI) model provides a framework of structure, process and outcomes for assessing and improving the quality of healthcare. The IPE-RC operationalized the IPEC competencies in their collaboration using Donabedian's QI model. They demonstrate, using a systematic approach that mirrors interprofessional practice, how researchers from multiple institutions can study learning experiences across different contexts and learner levels to inform best practice for an introductory interprofessional learning experience.

Creating Awareness for the Social Determinants of Health: Dental hygiene and nursing student interprofessional service-learning experiences.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether a service-learning interprofessional education (IPE) experience with dental hygiene students and undergraduate nursing students could reinforce learning related to Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) sub-competencies.Methods: Dental hygiene students were provided an IPE experience document to guide group discussion and written reflection prior to a school-based service-learning activity with nursing students. Dental hygiene students were responsible for conducting oral exams and providing oral hygiene instruction while nursing students were responsible for taking blood pressure, calculating body mass index, and classifying risk for obesity. The dental hygiene students completed individual written reflection assignments following the activity and the narrative responses were independently analyzed for themes related to the IPEC sub-competencies and for learning beyond the targeted sub-competencies.Results: Student reflection assignments confirmed that the learning outcomes were met. Themes from the written reflections indicated that students recognized social barriers related to health and the need for multiple professions to promote health. Responses also suggested the potential formation of negative bias.Conclusion: Service-learning activities enhance IPE and learning outcomes on the topic of social determinants of health. Group discussion and individual reflection are essential components to consider when designing a service-learning IPE experience.

Longitudinal interprofessional education in a graduate physiology course.

The primary purpose of conducting two interprofessional education (IPE) experiences during a multidisciplinary physiology graduate-level course was to provide basic science, physical therapy, and physician assistant graduate students opportunities to work as a team in the diagnosis, treatment, and collaborative care when presented with a patient case focused on acute kidney injury (first case) and female athlete triad (second case). The secondary purpose was to apply basic physiology principles to patient case presentations of pathophysiology. The overall purpose was to assess the longitudinal effects and the value of IPE integrated within a basic science course. The following Interprofessional Education Collaborative subcompetencies were targeted: roles/responsibilities (RR1, RR4). Students were given a pre- and postsurvey to assess their IPE perceptions and knowledge of professional roles. There were statistically significant increases from the presurvey renal IPE experience to the presurvey endocrine IPE experience for two perception questions regarding the ability to explain the roles and responsibilities of a physical therapist (PT) and physician assistant using a Likert scale. In addition, student knowledge of the role of a PT increased significantly when comparing the renal IPE presurvey to the endocrine IPE presurvey results to open-ended questions. Students' perceptions of their knowledge as well as their ability to express, in writing, their newly learned knowledge of the role of a PT was sustained over time. Incorporating multiple IPE experiences into multidisciplinary health science courses represents an appropriate venue to have students learn and apply interprofessional competencies.

Supporting Health System Transformation: The development of an integrated interprofessional curriculum inclusive of public health students.

Under pressures to support health system transformation, many health professional accreditation organizations have incorporated standards requiring interprofessional education. However, the inclusion of population health topics and public health or health administration students into IPE experiences is limited. With the belief that understanding and cooperation among the health professions will be important to support health system transformation, The Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-New Orleans has created several IPE experiences focused on population health, programs that are examined in this article along with insights that could prove useful for other programs seeking to build IPE into their regular curricula.

Supporting health system transformation through an interprofessional education experience focused on population health.

The purpose of the study was to determine the impact of an interprofessional education (IPE) experience on first year students across all schools of a health sciences center on the topic of pediatric immunizations. The authors conducted a pre-/post-test at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-New Orleans with 731 first year students from 25 academic programs encompassing all six schools (Allied Health, Dentistry, Graduate Studies, Medicine, Nursing and Public Health). In the four questions related to the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) sub-competencies and the three questions related to professional role regarding immunizations, there was a statistically significant difference in the pre-/post-test survey results (P < 0.0001). Student learning related to the collaboration needed to make a larger impact on patient outcomes was demonstrated through assessment of an open-ended question. IPE experiences can improve first-year students' perceptions of IPEC sub-competencies regarding the importance of population health and teamwork. By utilizing a population health focus with IPE activities, novice learners are equipped to learn and apply collaborative practice skills along with recognizing the importance of promoting overall health and well-being instead of just health care.

Collaborative Skill Building in Dentistry and Dental Hygiene through Intraprofessional Education: Application of a quality improvement model.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to apply a quality improvement model in the application of an intraprofessional educational experience by improving student perceptions of collaboration and increasing the number of collaborative experiences within the dental hygiene curriculum.Methods: A quality improvement model, Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) developed by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), was used to initiate an intraprofessional education experience for dental hygiene and dental students. Faculty members utilized the PDSA worksheet to plan, implement, and analyze the educational experience. Pre- and post-session surveys were used to measure dental hygiene student perceptions of their ability to perform four Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) sub-competencies. Statistical analysis was carried out on the pre and post session surveys. Students were also given the opportunity to discuss their learning and intraprofessional experiences in a reflection assignment.Results: Dental hygiene students demonstrated positive changes from pre- to post-session survey data in in all four targeted IPEC sub-competencies. Statistical significance was noted in three of the four IPEC sub-competency rating statements. Themes from the reflection assignments indicated student learning in the areas of teamwork and communication. Dental hygiene faculty applied the information gained from the assessments as part of the IHI PDSA cycle for improvement in health care to evaluate and plan for future learning experiences.Conclusion: Meaningful intraprofessional education experiences between dental hygiene and dental students support collaborative practice skills and should be integrated into dental and dental hygiene curricula. Applying a continuous quality improvement model, such as the IHI PDSA, can assist educators in planning, implementing, and evaluating curricular changes in order to improve student learning outcomes.

Developing Interprofessional Education at One U.S. Dental School: Establishing a Baseline and Moving Forward.

Dental schools across the U.S. are in the process of incorporating interprofessional education (IPE) into their curricula. At Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-New Orleans (LSUHSC), the process of educating competent students fully prepared to maximize patient outcomes through interprofessional care is under way. The aim of this study was to establish baseline data on three years of LSU dental students' perceptions of IPE prior to and as a new two-year IPE curriculum was being introduced. A survey was conducted of dental students in all four years from 2015 to 2017 using the Student Perceptions of Interprofessional Clinical Education-Revised instrument, version 2 (SPICE-R2). In 2015, 120 students participated in the survey for a response rate of 46%, followed by 160 students in 2016 (62%) and 170 in 2017 (67%). The results showed that the first-year students in 2017 had a higher total SPICE-R2 mean score than the first-year students in 2015 and 2016; the difference was statistically significant. Even though the 2017 first-year students had only received an orientation to the curriculum at the time they completed the survey, this change in attitude suggests the new focus on IPE was already having an effect on students. There were no statistically significant differences between mean scores for the three cohorts of second-, third-, and fourth-year students, none of whom had experienced the new IPE curriculum. Data from this study will serve as a baseline from which to evaluate the impact of the new IPE curriculum that is now required of all first- and second-year dental students. Through continued IPE exposure in the curriculum and ongoing faculty development, further improvements in students' attitudes toward IPE can be anticipated.

The potential of interprofessional education to translate physiology curricula effectively into future team-based healthcare.

Incorporating active interprofessional education (IPE) opportunities into the classroom setting is a potentially effective mechanism to enhance student learning both in the basic sciences and for future interprofessional collaboration. We integrated an IPE exercise into a graduate-level human physiology course at our health sciences center that enrolled physician assistant (PA), physical therapy (PT), and graduate studies students. Our activity adopted and targeted the four Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) competency domains of values/ethics (VE), roles/responsibilities, interprofessional communication, and teams and teamwork (TT). Effectiveness of the training exercise was determined via pre- and postsurveys, which assessed student self-perceptions of IPEC competency domains, as well as student reflections and evaluations of the exercise itself. We noted a significant improvement in each of the targeted IPEC subcompetencies among all of the students, and within both PT and PA groups when analyzed separately. Moreover, a positive correlation was found between the number of previous IPE experiences and presurvey IPEC VE and TT subcompetency ratings. Our discoveries provide an example of broad acquisition of IPE learning within the context of a physiology curriculum. Perhaps more importantly, our findings indicate that a history of IPE training sets the stage for future IPE learning, reflecting a potential for IPE to transform basic physiological principles into team-based practice and improvement in patient outcomes.

Increasing Awareness of the Roles, Knowledge, and Skills of Respiratory Therapists Through an Interprofessional Education Experience.

BACKGROUND: The objectives of this study were: (1) to assess the use of interprofessional education (IPE) to improve the knowledge and skill levels of nursing and occupational therapy students regarding respiratory therapy (RT) medical devices and techniques, nursing and RT students regarding safe patient transfers, and RT and occupational therapy students regarding safe handling of a patient's medical lines during transfers and (2) to promote collaborative behaviors. METHODS: A prospective mixed methods approach was used for data collection of an IPE high-fidelity simulation experience involving 73 nursing, occupational therapy, and RT students at an academic medical institution. The Interprofessional Education Collaborative roles and responsibilities and interprofessional communication sub-competency guided the development of the IPE experience. RESULTS: The pre-post paired survey response rate was 82.2%. Significant increases in student perception of learning differed by profession. Student evaluations of the IPE experience suggested that IPE increased students' knowledge of the procedures performed by the other represented professions and that students were more likely to collaborate with these professions in the future. CONCLUSIONS: IPE improved student knowledge in the roles and responsibilities competency domain. In particular, nursing and occupational therapy students became more aware of the knowledge and skill set of the RT profession.

Effectiveness of interprofessional education in renal physiology curricula for health sciences graduate students.

The primary purpose of conducting an interprofessional education (IPE) experience during the renal physiology block of a graduate-level course was to provide basic science, physical therapy, and physician assistant graduate students with an opportunity to work as a team in the diagnosis, treatment, and collaborative care of a patient with acute kidney injury. The secondary purpose was to enhance the understanding of basic renal physiology principles with a patient case presentation of renal pathophysiology. The overall purpose was to assess the value of IPE integration within a basic science course by examining student perceptions and program evaluation. Graduate-level students operated in interprofessional teams while working through an acute kidney injury patient case. The following Interprofessional Education Collaborative subcompetencies were targeted: Roles/Responsibilities (RR) Behavioral Expectations (RR1, RR4) and Interprofessional Communication (CC) Behavioral Expectations (CC4). Clinical and IPE stimulus questions were discussed both within and between teams with assistance provided by faculty facilitators. Students were given a pre- and postsurvey to determine their knowledge of IPE. There were statistically significant increases from pre- to postsurvey scores for all six IPE questions for all students. Physical therapy and physician assistant students had a statistically significant increase in pre- to postsurvey scores, indicating a more favorable perception of their interprofessional competence for RR1, RR4, and CC4. No changes were noted in pre- to postsurvey scores for basic science graduate students. Incorporating planned IPE experiences into multidisciplinary health science courses represents an appropriate venue to have students learn and apply interprofessional competencies.

Promoting Hearing Health Collaboration Through an Interprofessional Education Experience.

PURPOSE: To enhance audiology and physician assistant (PA) student appreciation for collaboration/team-based care through an interprofessional educational activity focused on hearing assessments. METHOD: A total of 18 students from Louisiana State University Health-New Orleans's audiology and PA programs participated in an optional interprofessional education learning opportunity, which included a demonstration of hearing assessments. To assess student perspectives regarding interprofessional learning, the students completed pre- and post-surveys. RESULTS: Eighteen students completed a survey, including 5 questions using a Likert scale and 1 open-ended question. Both audiology and PA students demonstrated significant statistical improvement in 2 interprofessional competencies: roles/responsibilities and interprofessional communication. Students also reported increased awareness and knowledge in the skills of the opposite professions as related to hearing assessments. CONCLUSION: Integrating interprofessional education experiences within an audiology program promotes collaborative practice patterns and supports new educational accreditation standards. SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL: https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.5491669.