If trainees from differing health professions work together in a team-based setting to provide quality care to underserved individuals, they may be more inclined to work in an interprofessional collaborative health care team. The purpose of the study was to learn about student experiences at the Indiana University Student Outreach Clinic (IUSOC) as it relates to caring for underserved individuals. The IUSOC is a free clinic run out of the Neighborhood Fellowship Church in Indianapolis, Indiana. The IUSOC clinic provides primary care-based medical services free of charge for the uninsured and underserved within the community. The patient population includes individuals with medical problems of varying acuity. Health profession students from dentistry, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, public health, and social work co-located in the clinic recently agreed to move more intentionally into interprofessional collaborative care to more effectively address a variety of patient needs.
This specific assessment is the result of a unique collaboration between the IUSOC, the Indiana Area Health Education Center Network, IU School of Medicine Office of Diversity Affairs, and the IU Center for Interprofessional Health Education and Practice. The goal was to determine if students volunteering in the IUSOC are leaving with the willingness and ability to serve vulnerable populations in an interprofessional collaborative manner.
In the spring of 2016, a pilot assessment was conducted with 269 health profession student volunteers. The 18-question survey assessed student’s perception of their experience serving in an interprofessional team, working with individuals from diverse backgrounds, understanding of the unique needs of underserved individuals, and their future practice intents.
The results of this pilot assessment is critical as we determine how to maximize the student experience at the IUSOC so that they are equipped with the competencies necessary to practice in an interprofessional collaborative manner with diverse teams throughout the healthcare community.
Objectives:
By the end of this interactive discussion, participants will: Identify the value of evaluating program outcomes in assessing the effectiveness of interprofessional education within a community-based student experience. Describe the value of using a collaborative partnership to maximize the opportunity for interprofessional/team based education among health profession students in a clinical learning environment. Identify strategic next steps for assessing student competence in interprofessional team-based care
