Results and lessons learned from a virtual multi-institutional problem-based interprofessional learning approach: The VIPE program

ABSTRACT

The importance of interprofessional collaborative practice has come into focus over the past decade as coordination and delivery of health care becomes increasingly complex. The need for students to acquire collaboration-building skills to prepare them to work effectively within diverse healthcare teams to improve patient outcomes is a goal of interprofessional education (IPE). Accrediting bodies across healthcare professions require IPE as part of a robust curriculum to build collaborative skill sets and create a practice ready workforce. To respond to this need, an online healthcare program developed an innovative model for student collaboration across professions and institutions through a virtual interprofessional education (VIPE) program. The VIPE model aims to simulate clinical practice via an asynchronous and synchronous pedagogical approach that combines PBL/CBL with psychological safety. VIPE demonstrated statistically significant gains in knowledge and positive attitudes toward interprofessional collaborative practice as a result of participation in the VIPE program. During COVID-19, the demand for high quality IPE for health professions’ students in virtual settings has grown, VIPE has the potential to be a solution for this. VIPE requires a dedicated committee and technical lead. Further research could involve longitudinal studies and nonaggregate models.

KEYWORDS:

• Interprofessional education
• multi-institutional IPE
• problem-based learning education
• online interprofessional education
• synchronous & asynchronous learning

Acknowledgments

Yale, NYU, USC, St. John Fisher College, Georgetown, GW, Concordia, A T Still University, 2U, Alex Stawiarski, Pey-Jiuan Lee, Kristie Howard/Elaine Martinez who helped with the support of the grant disbursement, Joseph D. Yaksich MS, RN, ACNP-BC, CHSE, Frank Rubino, MS, Daniel Chlebos, MS, Diana Burden, MSN, FNP-BC, Anita Perr, PhD, OT/L, ATP, FAOTA, Pamela Biernacki, DNP, FNP-C

Disclosure statement

The development of this virtual interprofessional education (VIPE) activity and ensuing research was conducted with the support of a Josiah Macy Foundation grant. The views/opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Yale School of Medicine, NYU, USC, GW, Georgetown, Concordia, A T Still or St. John Fisher. No other relevant disclosures or conflicts of interest exist.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation

Notes on contributors

Mary Showstark

Mary Showstark, MPAS, PA-C, FAWM, is an Assistant Professor at the Yale School of Medicine Physician Assistant Online Program and Affiliate Faculty at the Yale Institute of Global Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.

Dawn Joosten-Hagye

Dawn Joosten-Hagye, PhD, LCSW, MSW, GC-C, is an Associate Professor of Social Work in the Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.

Andrew Wiss

Andrew C. Wiss, PhD, EdM, is the Assistant Dean for Academic Innovation and a Professorial Lecturer in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Milken Institute School of Public Health at the George Washington University, Washington DC, USA.

Cheryl Resnik

Cheryl Resnik, PT, DPT, FNAP, FAPTA is a Professor of Clinical Physical Therapy in the Division of Biokinesiology & Physical Therapy at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.

Erin Embry

Erin Embry, MPA, MS, CCC-SLP, is the Associate Dean for Academic Operations and Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders at Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development at New York University, New York, NY, USA.

Elke Zschaebitz

Elke Zschaebitz, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, is an Assistant Professor in the Advanced Nursing Program at Georgetown University School of Nursing and Health Studies, Washington DC, USA

Melanie R. Symoniak

Melanie R. Symoniak, Pharm.D., BCPS, is a Clinical Pharmacist and an Adjunct Professor of Pharmacy Practice and former Chair for Interprofessional Education Initiatives at the Wegmans School of Pharmacy, St. John Fisher College, USA

Barbara Maxwell

Barbara Maxwell, PhD, DPT, MSc, Cert THE, FNAP, is Associate Dean and Director of the Indiana University Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education, and Professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indiana, USA.

Anita Simmons

Anita Simmons, RN, MSN, is the Director of Simulation and full-time faculty at Concordia University School of Nursing, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.

Jennifer Fieten

Jennifer Fieten, MA, CCLS, is an Adjunct Faculty Member in the Human Development and Family Studies Program at Maryville University, St. Louis, MO, USA, and is also a Certified Child Life Specialist at Beacon Children’s Hospital in South Bend, IN, USA.