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Fricke M1,2, Condon A1, Jensen F1, MacDonald L1, Oliver R1, Warden K1
1University of Manitoba, Office of Interprofessional Collaboration, Winnipeg, Canada, 2University of Manitoba, Physical Therapy, Winnipeg, Canada
Background: Interprofessional collaboration in health care can improve outcomes for patients, providers, organizations, and systems. Interprofessional education provides the foundation for preparing health care practitioners for such collaborative practice. The six competencies of collaboration including team functioning, role clarification, interprofessional communication, patient-centred care, interprofessional conflict resolution and collaborative leadership provide the framework from which such an interprofessional collaborative care curriculum can be built. In September 2016, an innovative two-year interprofessional collaborative care curriculum was implemented at the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada in order to provide learners with an opportunity to learn and reflect on the importance of interprofessional collaboration in quality patient care.
Purpose: The purpose of this presentation is to present results of the on-going evaluation of this educational approach.
Methods: Students from nine different professional health programs (dentistry, dental hygiene, medicine, nursing, occupational therapy, pharmacy, physician assistants, physiotherapy, and respiratory therapy) were placed in interprofessional learning cohorts in the first year of their respective programs and progressed through the two-year curriculum together. Each term began with a facilitated face-to-face session followed by on-line discussions, an individual written reflection, and a group assignment. A showcase of student activity occurred at the end of each academic year.
Multiple methods were used to evaluate the program from both the students' and the faculty facilitators' perspectives, both quantitative and qualitative. Students completed a short validated interprofessional socialization valuing survey at three separate points throughout the two-year program: pre-, mid- and post. Sequential exploratory methods (focus groups informed by the survey results) explored processes and outcomes in greater depth.
Results: Results show bi-directional trends in valuing of interprofessional socialization, regardless of program of study. Overarching themes of focus groups and free survey text indicate the need for early and on-going communication around the overall curriculum map; the desire for more face-to-face time; and the challenges of blended learning.
Conclusion(s): The findings of this longitudinal curriculum to-date are consistent with existing evidence that regular communication with learners and facilitators is paramount to success in interprofessional education strategies. While our experience suggests face-to-face opportunities are preferred over blended learning, the reality of limited time across various health care professional curricula must be honoured. By establishing consistent interprofessional cohorts over a two-year time frame, the challenges of interprofessional team formation and development can be overcome.
Implications: This experience provides an exemplar of opportunities and lessons that other educational institutions can benefit from.
Keywords: interprofessional, collaboration, education
Funding acknowledgements: No external funding was received for this initiative.
Purpose: The purpose of this presentation is to present results of the on-going evaluation of this educational approach.
Methods: Students from nine different professional health programs (dentistry, dental hygiene, medicine, nursing, occupational therapy, pharmacy, physician assistants, physiotherapy, and respiratory therapy) were placed in interprofessional learning cohorts in the first year of their respective programs and progressed through the two-year curriculum together. Each term began with a facilitated face-to-face session followed by on-line discussions, an individual written reflection, and a group assignment. A showcase of student activity occurred at the end of each academic year.
Multiple methods were used to evaluate the program from both the students' and the faculty facilitators' perspectives, both quantitative and qualitative. Students completed a short validated interprofessional socialization valuing survey at three separate points throughout the two-year program: pre-, mid- and post. Sequential exploratory methods (focus groups informed by the survey results) explored processes and outcomes in greater depth.
Results: Results show bi-directional trends in valuing of interprofessional socialization, regardless of program of study. Overarching themes of focus groups and free survey text indicate the need for early and on-going communication around the overall curriculum map; the desire for more face-to-face time; and the challenges of blended learning.
Conclusion(s): The findings of this longitudinal curriculum to-date are consistent with existing evidence that regular communication with learners and facilitators is paramount to success in interprofessional education strategies. While our experience suggests face-to-face opportunities are preferred over blended learning, the reality of limited time across various health care professional curricula must be honoured. By establishing consistent interprofessional cohorts over a two-year time frame, the challenges of interprofessional team formation and development can be overcome.
Implications: This experience provides an exemplar of opportunities and lessons that other educational institutions can benefit from.
Keywords: interprofessional, collaboration, education
Funding acknowledgements: No external funding was received for this initiative.
Topic: Education; Professional issues
Ethics approval required: No
Institution: University of Manitoba
Ethics committee: Human Research Ethics Board
Reason not required: Approval was sought from the Human Research Ethics Board of University of Manitoba but not required for this program evaluation.
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
