An experimental education project for consultations of older adults during the pandemic and healthcare lockdown

Abstract

Objective: To develop a mentor-supervised, interprofessional, geriatric telemedicine experi-ential education project in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: Medical and pharmacy students collaborated via remote consultations to address the coexistence of multimorbidity and polypharmacy in geriatric patients. In-depth interviews of students and patients as well as Likert scale-based telephonic survey were performed for a comprehensive evaluation of the project’s signif-icance. Results: To date, 49 consultations have been conducted. Remote consultations performed by medical and pharmacy students working collaboratively were beneficial for both students, par-ticipants. Conclusions and Practice Implications: This experimental education project provided students with authentic challenges while simultaneously delivering care to the older adults who are susceptible to disruption of care associated with the pandemic. Further development and expanded implementation of such approaches may be a post-pandemic practice to provide more accessible care for senior patients while incorporating interprofessional education.