Major
Psychology
Minor(s)
Human Development and Family Studies
Advisor
Sweeney, Barbara, A
Advisor Department
Human Development and Family Studies
Date
5-2020
Keywords
Interprofessional Education; Teamwork; Collaboration
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Abstract
The World Health Organization defines Interprofessional education (IPE) as “when two or more students within the health or social science fields learn together during their professional training in order to enable effective collaboration and improve health outcomes”(World Health Organization, 2010). IPE is vital to the health professions because it allows for professionals to adapt a holistic approach that is patient-centered. The core competencies of IPE are: Values and Ethics for Interprofessional Practice; Roles and Responsibilities for Collaborative Practice; Interprofessional Communication Practices; and Interprofessional Teamwork and Team-Based Practice. An online event conducted via WebEx was held for University of Rhode Island students in the colleges of Health Sciences, Nursing, and Pharmacy. The participants were asked to report their knowledge of IPE prior to the event and then again after the event was over. During the event, they were introduced to IPE and the four core competencies. In particular, this event was focused on the fourthcompetency “Teamwork and Team-Based Practice.” The participants discussed teamwork,what it entails, and how team-based collaboration can provide better patient care in a professional setting. The participants learned that exposure to IPE and its practice helpsprepare health professionals to meet the “Triple Aim”- reduced costs, improved patient outcomes, and improved population health. At the end of the event, participants were asked to report one concept they learned about IPE and one additional item they would like to know. This event was a step in the process of introducing URI students to IPE and spreading awareness of the benefits and necessity of teamwork and collaboration. With this information, I was able to determine how well-known IPE is among URI’s health professionsstudents and gather information on potential inroads for increasing awareness of it.