Interprofessional simulation interventions, especially when face-to-face, involve considerable resources and require that all participants convene in a single location at a specific time. Scheduling multiple people across different programs is an important barrier to implementing interprofessional education interventions. This study explored a novel way to overcome the challenges associated with scheduling interprofessional learning experiences through the use of simulations in a virtual environment (Web.Alive™) where learners interact as avatars. In this study, 60 recent graduates from nursing, paramedic, police, and child and youth service programs participated in a 2-day workshop designed to improve interprofessional competencies through a blend of learning environments that included virtual face-to-face experiences, traditional face-to-face experiences and online experiences. Changes in learners' interprofessional competence were assessed through three outcomes: change in interprofessional attitudes pre- to post-workshop, self-perceived changes in interprofessional competence and observer ratings of performance across three clinical simulations. Results from the study indicate that from baseline to post-intervention, there was significant improvement in learners' interprofessional competence across all outcomes, and that the blended learning environment provided an acceptable way to develop these competencies.
The internet is now one of the most popular and easily available sources of public health information, especially for teens and young adults. YouTube™ has over 2 billion views per day and 24 hours of video uploaded per minute. It should therefore be regarded as an important source of health information with the advantages of low-cost, rapid transmission through a wide community and user interaction. however, as with many internet sites, the content on YouTube™ is not peer reviewed and there is a lack of source citation. There is therefore a risk of disseminating misleading information as registered users can post any content they choose.
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