Remote Interprofessional Platform for Learning and Education (RIPPLE)
Background/Aims
Interprofessional Education (IPE) is an essential cornerstone of health care enabling health professionals to learn and practice collaborative care to improve healthcare outcomes. Our task was to train students from the Schools of Medicine, Nursing, and Public Health amid a pandemic. We describe the program that leveraged our in-person IPE experience, existing on-line modules, and was adopted to create a longitudinal remote, small-group educational experience.
Design or Methodology
First-year students from Anesthesiologist Assistant, Genetic Counselor, Doctor of Medicine, Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Doctor of Physical Therapy, Physician Assistant, and Public Health programs participated. The RIPPLE program included 5 remote sessions with one introductory session and 4 additional sessions throughout the first year. The four IPEC Core Competencies were woven into the learning objectives. The introductory session was preceded by on-line learning modules. Each session was led by a team of trained facilitator and included panel discussion, reflective writing, role plays, and case-based discussions. Assessment of students’ achievement included participation and a required reflection piece. Programmatic assessment using a survey focused on remote education and other questions.
Results
A total of 1212 students participated in the entire RIPPLE program. The first session included Public Health students (n=575) however due to curricula differences they could not participate in the subsequent sessions. For the Survey question: “The online Zoom format allowed for adequate participation in the curricula material” 258 non-public health students responded noting that 55.04% (n=142) either strongly agreed or agreed.
Conclusion
We were able to transform our ITT program into a remote longitudinal experience. Our initial results noted some satisfaction with this approach; however further analysis of the student and facilitator survey results should yield additional data as we attempt to find the correct balance between in-person and remote education.
