Early provision of interprofessional education (IPE) is imperative to ensure effective communication between healthcare professionals. However, there are several barriers to offering adequate IPE, including space restrictions and lack of human resources, prompting exploration of alternative modalities. In 2019, an IPE activity was offered in person with 213 pharmacy and 45 physician assistant (PA) students participating in one-on-one team huddles focusing on managing an acutely ill patient. In 2020, the same IPE activity, including 194 pharmacy and 45 PA students, was offered virtually. Peer evaluations, an attitudes survey, and confidence surveys were administered to evaluate the impact of the IPE activity. A student t-test and descriptive statistics were utilized to analyze the data. On average, PA students in the virtual group rated their peers higher than PA students in the in-person group, with little difference in the pharmacy peer evaluation of their PA partner. Ninety percent of pharmacy students and 91% of PA students in the virtual group felt that “they learned something new regarding therapeutic management” from their partner versus 84% of pharmacy and 81% of PA students in the in-person group. In conclusion, using a virtual modality for a communications-focused IPE was not detrimental to student attitudes and did not adversely affect peer perceptions.

The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of a peer-taught interprofessional education (IPE) activity on pharmacy and physician assistant (PA) student self-assessed confidence and attitudes related to professional skills. First-year pharmacy (n = 210) and PA (n = 45) students participated in a two-hour IPE activity. Forty-five teams consisting of one PA and at least four pharmacy students completed three peer-teaching stations focused on diabetes device education, pulmonary device teaching/case workup, and physical assessment skills. Students completed a pre- and post-activity confidence survey and a post-activity attitudes survey. For pharmacy students, highest confidence gains were noted on the items related to performing a physical exam. For PA students, largest gains were noted on the items related to insulin delivery systems. Eighty-three percent of students either agreed or strongly agreed with the statement “I learned things during this IPE activity that I will implement in clinical practice.” Seventy six percent of students felt that the physical assessment station was “beneficial or very beneficial” to their learning. A vast majority of students noted the IPE activity “somewhat or definitely” enhanced their communication with other health professionals and promoted a climate of mutual respect. In conclusion, peer teaching improved student attitudes and confidence.

This study aimed to measure the impact of an interprofessional education (IPE) activity on student knowledge and attitudes regarding patient safety. Two 4 h IPE activities were designed to provide students with foundational information regarding patient safety. Interprofessional teams discussed the individual curricula and roles/responsibilities of each represented health profession. Teams then served on a mock committee tasked with completing a root cause analysis of a fictitious sentinel event. Students completed a pre/post-quiz and pre/post-attitudes survey to measure knowledge and attitudes. Five months later, students reconvened to serve on a second mock sentinel event committee. Students completed a post-activity survey after the second activity. Four hundred and seven students participated in the first activity, while two hundred and eighty participated in the second activity. Quiz score comparisons revealed improved knowledge, with post-quiz scores being significantly higher. Pre- and post-attitude survey comparisons indicated a significant improvement in participant attitudes towards interprofessional teamwork. Seventy-eight percent of students reported the IPE activity enhanced their ability to “engage other health professions students in shared patient-centered care”. This IPE activity resulted in knowledge and attitude improvement related to patient safety.

To compare self-perceived cognitive load between participants who received structured pre-briefing and worked-out modeling (WOM) before an interprofessional escape room simulation versus those who received the usual pre-simulation orientation. A secondary outcome was to explore differences in observed and self-reported team dynamics. One hundred and ten students participated in a 3.5-hour interprofessional education (IPE) activity featuring a pediatric escape room. Teams were randomized into a control (14 teams) and intervention (15 teams) arm. The control arm received a 30-minute orientation including a team ice-breaker and then proceeded to the escape room. The intervention group received the same orientation, plus a structured pre-briefing on psychological safety, available resources, and good team behaviors, and WOM using five pediatric cases. In the escape room, an observer assessed team performance using the TeamSTEPPS performance observation tool. Immediately after the escape room, students completed the Cognitive Load Assessment Scales in Simulation and the Performance Assessment Communication and Teamwork Tools Set post-assessment form. The Mann-Whitney U test and independent t-test was used to compare the two arms. The intervention group reported significantly higher germane load and lower extraneous load. On the observer form, statistically significant higher total scores were noted for the intervention arm on one item related to the team structure domain. On the PACT post-assessment, the intervention arm reported more instances of leadership skills. Incorporating pre-briefing and WOM before an IPE experience improves germane load, reduces extraneous load, and may improve team dynamics relating to leadership.

PURPOSE: This qualitative study aimed to explore the lived experiences of people from a university LGBTQ+ community to inform health professional training in the interprofessional education setting. METHODS: Focus groups and semi-structured interviews from the University of the Pacific LGBTQ+ community were conducted by the researchers. Participants were recruited through campus-wide notification and fliers. Focus groups were held virtually on Zoom. Participants were asked to de-identify any identifying information. Informed consent and basic demographic information were obtained electronically. Participants were asked to reflect on personal experiences of their interactions within the healthcare system. The focus groups consisted of open-ended questions addressing the participants’ positive and negative healthcare experiences and how they felt their healthcare providers could have improved. The recordings were transcribed and coded for preliminary analysis. RESULTS: Seven students, faculty and staff participated in this study. Several themes emerged from the focus group interviews: 1.) Patient inclusion in shared decision-making 2.) Avoiding stereotypes 3.) Need to educate on whole-person care 4.) The importance of empathy. CONCLUSION: This study provides valuable insight into the unique needs of the LGBTQ+ community. The results reinforce the need to educate healthcare profession students on aspects of LGBTQ+ health to ensure a patient-centered approach.