Establishment of the Allied Health Interprofessional Students (AHIPS) Committee: A Student-Led Initiative
Background, including statement of problem, and aims
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH) Department of Allied Health Sciences (DAHS) Allied Health Interprofessional Students (AHIPS) Committee embodies a vision for holistic and collaborative interprofessional education and practice (IPE/IPP). In response to the 2016 IPEC Core Competencies and growing student desire for collaboration inside and outside the classroom, students self-organized AHIPS, which was formalized as a student group in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. AHIPS plans and executes IPE and IPP activities and events for 440+ DAHS students and faculty. The aim of this project is to describe the AHIPS formalization process and provide preliminary quantitative data on student event outcomes.
Design or methodology
Student founders generated an AHIPS manual using the Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) process to facilitate sustainable collaboration among interprofessional students. The manual defines student member roles and responsibilities, including leadership structure and recruitment and event planning/implementation processes. Student events in the first official year of AHIPS included a telehealth panel, research fair, Jeopardy game, and grand rounds. Following events, AHIPS leaders administered the Interprofessional Collaborative Competencies Attainment Survey (ICCAS) to quantify student participant outcomes.
Results (data, outcomes and evidence)
Of the attendees who completed the ICCAS, 71% of student outcomes improved significantly following the AHIPS events. Notably, all 20 ICCAS outcomes improved significantly in at least one event during the 2020-2021 AHIPS year. Qualitatively, students expressed that these events provided opportunities for critical thinking, conflict management, and discovery of their own and others’ roles on interprofessional teams.
Conclusion
The student-led formalization of AHIPS and subsequent organization of interprofessional events were successful in bringing together students from multiple disciplines within UNC-CH DAHS. The AHIPS manual, which centers around the IPEC Core Competencies, acts as a foundation for future cohorts so students can continue to build upon the progress made this inaugural year. The COVID-19 pandemic provided an opportunity to utilize the virtual environment to maximize attendance, increase student participation, and create novel event structures for furthered student engagement.
Reflections/lessons learned/implications
AHIPS highlights the importance of student involvement in IPE initiatives and building relationships focused on quality patient care. This year’s success is due to student leadership, ingenuity, and commitment to preparing themselves for IPP.
