1. and Physician Assistant Programs
Interprofessional Education Initiatives Incorporated into Doctor of Pharmacy
and Physician Assistant Programs
William Maidhof, PharmD; Olga Hilas, PharmD, MPH; Carmela Avena-Woods, PharmD; Danielle Ezzo, PharmD; Sharon See, PharmD;
Tina Kanmaz, PharmD; John Conry, PharmD; Cathleen Murphy, MS, DC; Candace Smith PharmD; Jaganath Muzumdar, MS, PhD; Russell J. DiGate PhD; and IPEG*
St. John’s University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Queens, NY 11439
Discussion:
Based on student feedback, the prescription writing and evaluation activity proved to be a valuable addition to the current pharmacy and physician assistant curricula. Improvements to activity design such as the number of topics covered, as well as the expansion and streamlining of the communications required for the activity, are being addressed for the upcoming academic year. Additionally, enhancements to assessment will continue to be made for optimal student engagement and interprofessional growth.
INTRODUCTION
Methods:
Student pharmacists and faculty developed an atrial fibrillation case and recruited volunteers from SCCP and the PA program.
Preparatory materials were provided, but participants were not privy to the chosen topic. Students were randomly assigned to a group consisting of 2 student pharmacists and 2 student PAs.
Student PAs assessed the patient, communicated with patient and simulated family member, requested cardiac testing, and diagnosed the patient. Student pharmacists communicated with all parties, assessed the patient and recommended pharmacologic therapy. At the conclusion, all students participated in a debriefing activity. Students completed a survey assessing their perceptions on healthcare collaboration, roles/responsibilities, and communication prior to and following the activity using a Likert Scale (1-Strongly Disagree to 5-Strongly Agree).
Results:
Fourteen students participated in this activity (6 student pharmacists and 8 student PAs). Students strongly agreed or agreed in all areas of the survey (Table # 3).
Discussion:
HPS allows students to: apply clinical knowledge, perform patient assessment, enhance critical thinking and
communication skills and work cohesively in an IPE setting.
Methods:
All students completed The Role Perception Questionnaire1 (RPQ) before the first and after the last IPEA based upon their individual experiences and perceptions of the other profession
Results:
Change in Student Pharmacists’ perception of PAs from baseline (pre) to end of course (post)
5% shift from an “autonomous” toward “supervised” practice
No shift from “seek a high degree of patient’s involvement”
No shift from having a “technical” role
No shift from “works effectively in a team”
No shift from “has the ability to refer the patient to another professional” (Table # 2).
Change in Student PAs’ perception of Pharmacy from baseline (pre) to end of course (post)
5% shift from a “supervised: toward “autonomous” practice
11% shift from “seek a high degree of patient involvement” toward “maintains a low degree of involvement with patient”
7% shift from having a “caring role and people skills” toward having a “technical” role
14% shift from “works more effectively alone” toward “works effectively in a team”
13% shift from “works with patient within their own field” toward “has the ability to refer the patient to another professional” (Table # 2).
Discussion:
IPEA demonstrated various changes in students’ perceptions of each others’ professions. Limitations of the assessment included low overall response rates to the post survey, varied response rates to individual questions and potential variation in student interpretation of the survey questions. Moving forward IPEA will be built upon to encompass the expanded role of each profession and their impact on patient-care collaboratively. Faculty will revise assessment technique for clarity and ability to assess students’ views of IPEA.
Objective
To develop, incorporate and assess interprofessional education activities (IPEA) within our Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) and Physician Assistant (PA) program curricula.
Introduction
The Department of Clinical Health Professions (CHP) is an interprofessional department of the College that includes Pharmacy, PA, Clinical Laboratory Sciences and Radiologic Sciences faculty. A focus on interprofessional education (IPE) within the College began in Spring The Dean of the College sent a team of 5 faculty members to the IPE Collaborative in Herndon, VA.
Pharmacy (n=2) Physician Assistant (n=1)
Radiologic Sciences (n=1) Public Health (n=1)
After the IPEC Collaborative, the following initiatives began:
Development of an Ad-hoc IPE Committee charged with identifying opportunities to incorporate IPEA in the curriculum.
2) Departmental Faculty Development Workshop conducted in Summer 2014 to provide an overview of IPE and discuss IPE plans.
The Ad-hoc IPE Committee met with the Department’s Curriculum and Educational Policy Committee to discuss IPE recommendations. Two recommendations were implemented for inclusion within selected courses during the Fall 2014 semester and are described here.
Table #1: Selected Survey Questions for Initiative-I
Survey Question
% Student Pharmacists (n=76)
% Student PA
(n=36)
“I better understand the prescription process” 65 61
“I better understand the necessary components of a prescription” 70
“I gained a better understanding of the other healthcare professional’s roles and responsibilities in patient care” 67 57
“I am better able to communicate in a respectful manner with assertiveness and confidence” 72 55
“I better understand the importance of prompt, clear, logical, and structured communication among healthcare professionals” 75 66
“I am able to more effectively integrate information provided to formulate and communicate appropriate evidence-based (or best practice) clinical recommendation(s)” 58
Table #3: Selected Survey Questions for Initiative-III
Survey Questions (n = 14)
Pre
(Mode)
Post
I can effectively communicate with team members 4 5
I can understand other IP member team roles
I can develop an effective care plan with IP team
I learned from, with, and about IP team members to enhance care
INITIATIVE-I
INITIATIVE-II
Prescription Writing and Evaluation Initiative
An interprofessional prescription writing and evaluation activity was developed and incorporated into the Pharmacy Practice Laboratory course for all P2 student pharmacists (n = 267) and the Clinical Medicine course for all P1 student PAs (n = 76).
Methods:
Pharmacy faculty members taught P1 student PAs the legal and clinical fundamentals of prescription writing, as well as various therapeutic topics. Student PAs wrote electronic prescriptions based on faculty-developed cases and ed the prescription and case to a student pharmacist, who evaluated the prescription for appropriateness. The student pharmacist responded via to the PA student to report whether the prescription could or could not be filled. A pharmacy faculty member oversaw the communications.
Results:
All students were asked to voluntarily evaluate their experience via a web-based survey. After participating in this activity, the majority of student pharmacists and physician assistants agreed or strongly agreed to the survey questions (Table # 1)
IPE in an Introductory Pharmacy and PA Course
Introductory courses were identified in the Pharmacy and PA curricula
- Courses offered in the P1 year and designed to introduce
students to skills needed to provide patient oriented services.
Pharmacy and PA faculty worked collaboratively to develop, deliver, and combine IPE lectures and IPEA to in their P1 courses during two class sessions in their respective sections
- Five sections: 4 Pharmacy faculty, 4 PA faculty, 267 P1 student pharmacists, 84 P1 student PAs
In-class activities:
1. Utilized professional oaths as introductions to each professions roles and responsibilities and how they provide patient-centered care
2. Didactic lecture and interactive case on team-based approach emphasizing adherence and communication skills
Out-of-class activity:
1. Patient empathy project; scheduling and keeping an
appointment for disease state monitoring
CONCLUSION
This poster provides a broad overview of novel inclusion of IPE, both within and outside of the curriculum, for large pharmacy and PA programs. Valuable experiences were gained by all stakeholders. Enhancements of these experiences are underway.
Table #2: RPQ Student Response Rates for Initiative-II
Student Pharmacists
Student PAs
Pre
Post
% Response Rate 88
(232/264) 42
(109/258) 52
(41/79) 21
(17/82)
IPE Initiatives in Progress
Description
Identification of IPE-Related APPEs
Survey APPE faculty & preceptors
Collaboration with Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine
Didactic and Experiential IPE experiences
Collaboration with Winthrop University Hospital
2 x 3-hour IPE sessions
INITIATIVE-III
Co-Curricular IPE Utilizing HPS
The Student College of Clinical Pharmacy (SCCP), in collaboration with 3rd and 4th year student PAs, participated in an activity that utilized Human Patient Simulation (HPS).
The event aimed to promote communication, teamwork, and understanding. Students worked together utilizing the mannequin to analyze a patient case, perform an examination, determine a diagnosis, and provide treatment.
IPEG (Interprofessional education group) members who contributed to the incorporation and assessment of the IPE educational initiatives: Emily Ambizas, PharmD; Sandra Beysolow, PhD; Manouchkathe Cassagnol, PharmD; Irene Eng, BS; Joseph Etzel, PharmD; Pamela J Gregory-Fernandez, MS; Danielle M. Kruger, MS; Maria Mantione, PharmD; Anthony C. Marziliano, MS; Daniel T Podd, MS; faculty teaching in the Pharmacy Practice Laboratory.
Reference: 1. MacKay, S. The role perception questionnaire (RPQ): A tool for assessing undergraduate students’ perceptions of the role of other professions. J Interprof Care Aug;18(3):