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ABSTRACT
An interprofessional education conference was developed and delivered to undergraduate medical and pharmacy students to address training needs around appropriate antimicrobial prescribing, identification and management of sepsis, patient safety and interprofessional working. The day consisted of keynote lectures delivered by specialist speakers and three small group interprofessional teaching sessions exploring (1) the choice and prescribing of antimicrobials for a range of infections, (2) the diagnosis and management of sepsis utilising simulation methodology and (3) the discussion of a clinical error using significant event analysis. Students’ attitudes and acceptance towards this educational intervention were assessed using a mixed methods evaluation. The delivery of an effective learning and teaching intervention in a conference format to a large cohort of pharmacy and medical students (n = 352) was found to be feasible. The logistics of organising an IPE conference of this scale were challenging but not insurmountable if sufficient staff and financial resources can be secured. Scheduling access to adequate teaching rooms and student timetabling were amongst the other important aspects affecting the success of such an event.
Acknowledgments
We would like to thank Lesley Scott and Andrew Teodorczuk for their input into the design and implementation of the conference and evaluation. We thank Neil Gammack and Chris Tiplady for delivering stimulating keynote lectures, senior medical student volunteers and the Newcastle Surgical Rotation doctors on Anatomy and Clinical Skills demonstratorships for their assistance in the smooth running of workshops and the School of Medical Education administrative staff. This project was supported by grants from the Catherine Cookson Foundation and the Faculty of Medical Sciences Unit for Educational Research, Development and Practice, Newcastle University.