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Booth J1, Barrett K2, O'Flynn J3, Flick J4, Coker-Bolt P5
1Quinnipiac University, Physical Therapy, Hamden, United States, 2St. Catherine University, Occupational Therapy, St. Paul, United States, 3Faculté des Sciences Réhabilitation de Léogâne, OT/PT, Léogâne, Haiti, 4University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Occupational Therapy, Memphis, United States, 5Medical University of South Carolina, Occupational Therapy, Charleston, United States
Background: An estimated 700,000-1,000,000 of Haiti's ten million people are living with some type of disability.1 The therapists who are practicing in Haiti have been trained outside of the country and although there has been in an increase in short-term therapy after the 2010 earthquake, this assistance is severely time limited. It does not contribute to the long-term revitalization of the Haitian healthcare and rehabilitation system for adults and children with acute and chronic disorders. Haitian physical therapy (PT) educational programs that meet the standards for accreditation by the World Confederation for PT are critical to meet the on-going healthcare needs of this country.
Purpose: The purpose of this project is to highlight the development of a new educational program at the Faculté des Sciences Réhabilitation de Léogâne (FSRL), whose mission is to prepare PT graduates for effective health care service as clinicians, leaders, researchers, and agents of change in Haiti.
Methods: Innovative international interprofessional (nursing, physical and occupational therapy) collaborations among US, Canadian, and Haitian institutions were harnessed to develop one of the first in-country professional programs for the study of PT, opening in 2015. The program's curriculum was developed from a qualitative needs assessment which determined the priorities of rehabilitation managers in Haiti. A significant theme of this assessment was the need for students to develop the interprofessional skills necessary to use a team approach when providing rehabilitation services in Haiti. The curriculum integrates the four areas of inter-professional education as defined by the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC). 2 As often as possible the PT and occupational therapy (OT) students take courses alongside one another and the nursing students, complete interprofessional assignments, and engage in clinical education together. The majority of the courses in the curriculum are interprofessional and are developed and taught by OT/PT faculty teams.
Results: Graduates from the program face situations in Haiti where they are forced to make critical decisions which have a long-term impact on clients. As a result, the PT curriculum in Haiti is grounded in critical thinking, ethical use of resources, creativity, and interprofessional skills which are necessary to provide rehabilitation services in Haiti. A uniquely designed rehabilitation curriculum to meet the needs of the Haiti was developed. Various supports were garnered to facilitate faculty participation in the development of the program including a Fulbright Specialist project. Interprofessional clinical fieldwork sites reliant on therapists educated outside of Haiti were developed to provide the in-country education.
Conclusion(s): The first cohort of students will graduate from FSRL in December 2019. Ongoing challenges face the program but through collaborative leadership these obstacles are being tackled. All involved have a shared vision for FSRL to become sustainable by and for Haitians.
Implications: The purpose of this project is to describe a. the complex nature of developing a curriculum that is culturally relevant to the academic program, b. how academicians between institutions must work collaboratively and inter-professionally to share and develop the resources required to build a viable, sustainable curriculum.
Keywords: Program development, Curriculum, Interprofessional collaboration
Funding acknowledgements: Quinnipiac University School of Health Science Grant
Purpose: The purpose of this project is to highlight the development of a new educational program at the Faculté des Sciences Réhabilitation de Léogâne (FSRL), whose mission is to prepare PT graduates for effective health care service as clinicians, leaders, researchers, and agents of change in Haiti.
Methods: Innovative international interprofessional (nursing, physical and occupational therapy) collaborations among US, Canadian, and Haitian institutions were harnessed to develop one of the first in-country professional programs for the study of PT, opening in 2015. The program's curriculum was developed from a qualitative needs assessment which determined the priorities of rehabilitation managers in Haiti. A significant theme of this assessment was the need for students to develop the interprofessional skills necessary to use a team approach when providing rehabilitation services in Haiti. The curriculum integrates the four areas of inter-professional education as defined by the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC). 2 As often as possible the PT and occupational therapy (OT) students take courses alongside one another and the nursing students, complete interprofessional assignments, and engage in clinical education together. The majority of the courses in the curriculum are interprofessional and are developed and taught by OT/PT faculty teams.
Results: Graduates from the program face situations in Haiti where they are forced to make critical decisions which have a long-term impact on clients. As a result, the PT curriculum in Haiti is grounded in critical thinking, ethical use of resources, creativity, and interprofessional skills which are necessary to provide rehabilitation services in Haiti. A uniquely designed rehabilitation curriculum to meet the needs of the Haiti was developed. Various supports were garnered to facilitate faculty participation in the development of the program including a Fulbright Specialist project. Interprofessional clinical fieldwork sites reliant on therapists educated outside of Haiti were developed to provide the in-country education.
Conclusion(s): The first cohort of students will graduate from FSRL in December 2019. Ongoing challenges face the program but through collaborative leadership these obstacles are being tackled. All involved have a shared vision for FSRL to become sustainable by and for Haitians.
Implications: The purpose of this project is to describe a. the complex nature of developing a curriculum that is culturally relevant to the academic program, b. how academicians between institutions must work collaboratively and inter-professionally to share and develop the resources required to build a viable, sustainable curriculum.
Keywords: Program development, Curriculum, Interprofessional collaboration
Funding acknowledgements: Quinnipiac University School of Health Science Grant
Topic: Education
Ethics approval required: No
Institution: Quinnipiac University
Ethics committee: Institutional review board
Reason not required: The project describes the methodology used to develop and implement an interprofessional physical therapy program in Haiti.
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
