Common barriers cited for implementing interprofessional education (IPE) and practices are space constraints, scheduling and time conflicts, full curricula, lack of knowledge and skills related to collaborative practice, and accessibility to other disciplines. Due to these significant barriers, IPE necessitates the development of innovative technological teaching modalities, which provide both didactic and experiential approaches.
Using Quality Matters™ standards for designing and evaluating online courses, five interprofessional (IP) online learning activities were developed at a large Midwest academic medical center. The Interprofessional Education Collaborative Expert Panel (IPEC, 2011) rationale for IPE and their four domains for collaborative practice were the framework for the learning activities (LA). Using Blackboard™ as the online platform, LA were inserted in selected courses across programs/disciplines in a timed yet asynchronous event for a period of one week. Each LA time commitment was approximately two hours over a five-day week. Students (n = 187) from six professions (advanced practice nurses, physician assistants, medicine, nutrition, medical lab science, and pharmacy) in nine courses participated. There were 32 interprofessional teams facilitated by six faculty members. Team engagement included viewing videos and short narrated Power Points, and completion of quizzes, case studies, self-reflections or other team assignments and discussions. Feedback from students (n=134) was positive with 70% of students either choosing “agree” or “strongly agree. Participation in the LA increased both their interest (M=2.79/4.0) and knowledge (M=2.78/4.0) of IPE and practice. Twenty-eight students specifically noted strengths of the online format in additional comments.
The online learning activities provide foundational knowledge and skill development for interprofessional collaborative practice in a virtual environment. In conclusion, preliminary data supports that these online LAs are a novel approach to teaching IPE. Utilizing existing university resources, LAs are a cost effect method to teach and overcome barriers to IPE.
Objective 1:
By the end of this presentation, the participants will be able to identify at least three barriers or challenges to interprofessional education and collaborative practice.
Objective 2:
By the end of this presentation, the participants will be able to describe why online learning activities are an effective strategy to overcome barriers to interprofessional education
