Developing and Implementing an Interprofessional Course and Identifying Its Strengths and Challenges

Abstract

An interprofessional course (IPC) was developed to provide basic guidance in developing essential knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values in order to function effectively in an interprofessional healthcare community. A total of 357 firstyear students from seven professional programs: Dental Health Science, Masters of Healthcare Administration, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Physician Assistant Studies, Pharmacy, and Professional Psychology, were enrolled in the IPC. Sixteen faculty members from the above programs participated to deliver four didactic topics: teambuilding and communication, diversity, professionalism, and community resources. A fifth topic was assigned to summarize didactic and experiential experiences. Pre and post surveys were implemented to evaluate the effectiveness of the entire IPC. Our results indicated that students appreciated the value of an IPC for developing interprofessional skills and that an interprofessional course is a meaningful curricular activity to be offered to students. Steps taken to establish and implement the IPC and identify strengths and challenges are discussed.