Interprofessional education (IPE) has grown in popularity over the years because it is effective in training future health professionals and serves as the engine of productivity in healthcare-related research. The research team, consisting of higher education faculty in various health profession disciplines, conducted a systematic review of existent IPE literature targeting both graduate and under-graduate students. The main purpose of the systematic review was to categorize research and analyze IPE studies to determine sub-constructs that entail both barriers and facilitators often related to occurrences in primary provider, learner, and researcher IPE initiatives. If identified, IPE training and related curriculum plans were also analyzed in this review. The research team wanted to identify any/all potential instances of the use of research activities in coordination with IPE training to identify underlying constructs to support future college and program-specific andragogy initiatives. Review results demonstrate three categorical constructs related to IPE initiatives in higher education health professions programs (provider, learner, and researcher stakeholder perspectives). Results further demonstrate provider IPE challenges surrounding limited resources and a willingness to participate, while both patient experience and teamwork foci were identified as common IPE session themes. Further, the learners’ perspectives included a challenge related to a willingness to participate, as well as the patient experience focus. Review constructs were further validated using supplementary topic modeling. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that combined systematic review with a supplementary topic modeling. Findings support ongoing pedagogy and research efforts related to IPE activities for health professions programs in higher education.

This study estimated the effects of Medicaid Expansion, demographics, socioeconomic status (SES), and health status on disease management of diabetes over time. The hypothesis was that the introduction of the ACA and particularly Medicaid Expansion would increase the following dependent variables (all proportions): (1) provider checks of HbA1c, (2) provider checks of feet, (3) provider checks of eyes, (4) patient education, (5) annual physician checks for diabetes, (6) patient self-checks of blood sugar. Data were available from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System for 2011 to 2019. We filtered the data to include only patients with diagnosed non-gestational diabetes of age 45 or older (n = 510,991 cases prior to weighting). Linear splines modeled Medicaid Expansion based on state of residence as well as implementation status. Descriptive time series plots showed no major changes in proportions of the dependent variables over time. Quasibinomial analysis showed that implementation of Medicaid Expansion had a statistically negative effect on patient self-checks of blood sugar (odds ratio = 0.971, p < 0.001), a statistically positive effect on physician checks of HbA1c (odds ratio = 1.048, p < 0.001), a statistically positive effect on feet checks (odds ratio = 1.021, p < 0.001), and no other significant effects. Evidence of demographic, SES, and health status disparities existed for most of the dependent variables. This finding was especially significant for HbA1c checks by providers. Barriers to achieving better diabetic care remain and require innovative policy interventions.

Background: Many educational disciplines, especially in health professions, are required by accrediting bodies to introduce or include health informatics (HI); however, faculty (academics) teaching this content may not be well prepared. Objective: The aim of this project was to explore how a doctoral physical therapy (DPT) program could more accurately represent compliance with HI accreditation requirements by identifying hidden instances of relevant content within the curriculum. Method: This exploratory, mixed methods, action research study utilised document review, questionnaires and interviews in the collection of quantitative and qualitative data to enable assessment of knowledge about HI, to determine if HI content was already incorporated in current courses, and, whether the content was accurately reflected in course student learning objectives (SLOs). Change in faculty understanding of HI as a result of this study was also assessed. Results: Of 16 DPT faculty, 13 participated in the pre-interview questionnaire; 8 (50%) representing 22/39 courses participated in the full study. Most were unfamiliar with HI and had unrecognised HI already incorporated in their courses leading to several SLO revisions and additions. Interview and post-interview questionnaire results documented significant increases in HI understanding among faculty. Conclusion: Physical therapy and HIM collaboration was successful in identifying HI content hiding in plain sight. Results revealed multiple instances of unrecognised HI content across the DPT curriculum. Revised and newly added SLOs, with others likely to follow due to this study, will assist faculty with future reaccreditation and in preparing graduates to more fully utilise HI in today’s digital healthcare environments.