Retrospective assessment of an intentional interprofessional experiential education experience involving pharmacy students in a dental clinic.

BACKGROUND: Our objective was to create an intentional Interprofessional Education Experience (IEE) that satisfied the requirements set forth by the Center for the Advancement of Pharmacy Education (CAPE 2013), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) Standard 11, and the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) Competencies. These frameworks elevate the importance of interprofessional education in pharmacy. They not only guide educational standards but also emphasize the crucial role of collaborative healthcare practices in ensuring comprehensive patient care and improving health outcomes. Our evaluation of PharmD students' attainment of Interprofessional Education (IPE) learning outcomes employed both quantitative and qualitative assessment methods to provide a comprehensive understanding of their achievements. INTERPROFESSIONAL EDUCATION ACTIVITY: Fourteen PharmD students participated in an intentional IEE experience in a community dental clinic, collaborating with the dental clinic team and patients. Assessment methods combined quantitative data from SPICE-R2 with qualitative insights from daily reflections and an IPE Field Encounter based on IPEC Competencies. This approach ensured a thorough evaluation across individual experiences. DISCUSSION: Quantitative analysis revealed a statistically increase in mean scores for four out of ten questions on the SPICE-R2 instrument. Qualitative data analysis utilized grounded theory to analyze emerging themes. IMPLICATIONS: Employing both quantitative and qualitative assessment methods in this intentional IEE environment has proved beneficial in assessing IPE learning outcomes. The PharmD students were able to deliver patient-centered care as valuable members of an interprofessional healthcare team.

Perspectives on Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI): A call for oral health care policy.

Educational Institutions in the U.S. have responded to government policies that called for more inclusive educational systems. The goal is to reduce the oppression created by "racism" and enhance the environmental trajectory toward equity and justice. Although significant social and economic advances have been made, these have not been sustainable, and disparities remain. As educational systems have not kept pace with the demographics and economic trends, there is a call to action to affirm the need to establish policies that support diversity within pipeline pathways, faculty recruitment, and retention. Leveraging knowledge and networking across institutions with communities can transform academic cultures, reduce unconscious/implicit bias, and microaggression. As racism exists in every segment of our culture, building sustainable capacity and a system proportional to the populations' relative needs can help chart a direction forward for policies that support justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion among dental institutions.

The Role of Academic Institutions in Fostering Interprofessional Educational Models.

Dentistry is much broader than the conditions it treats. In 2014, the Harvard School of Dental Medicine convened a leadership forum, "Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is: The Economic Imperative of Oral Health." Based on the goals of that initiative to advocate for an integrated healthcare system, the authors have presented pertinent information from two major research projects and two major clinical programs, which, collectively, aim to bring oral health into primary care and raise the awareness of the connections between oral health and systemic health.

Innovations in dental care delivery for the older adult.

Access to and reducing disparities in oral health for older adults is a complex problem that requires innovative strategies. In addition to offering dental services in alternative settings, such as senior centers, places that are familiar to older adults, and where physical limitations can be better accommodated, alternatives to the traditional provider should be considered. Many states are changing laws and practice acts to allow dental hygienists to provide preventive services without the supervision of a dentist. Also, collaborations between dental and non-dental professionals can be a successful strategy for increasing access to oral health care for this high-risk population.