Multiple interprofessional education activities delivered longitudinally within a required clinical assessment course

Abstract

Objective. To determine if the incorporation of multiple interprofessional educational (IPE) activities delivered as a longitudinal curriculum within a required clinical assessment course changed pharmacy students' perceptions regarding interprofessional collaboration. Design. Seventy-one third-year pharmacy students participated in Clinical Assessment, a required applications-based course with a laboratory component. Nine separate IPE activities were embedded into the course longitudinally over the semester using various active-learning strategies and simulated patients. The IPE activities required student participation from medical, nursing, and physician assistant students. Assessment. Pharmacy students completed an 18-item validated survey instrument, the Interdisciplinary Education Perception Scale (IEPS), on the first (pre-survey) and last (post-survey) day of the course. After completing the course, scores improved on 16 of 18 survey items that measured pharmacy students' perceptions of interprofessional collaboration. Conclusion. Incorporating multiple IPE activities longitudinally into a required clinical assessment course significantly changed pharmacy students' perceptions of interprofessional collaboration.