Lightning Talk Description:
Background: As the US population ages, many older adults with dementia rely on family caregivers for health-related care and daily activities. Issues associated with caregiver burden in this setting are well-documented, including caregivers’ diminished quality of life and health. Strong interprofessional care is required to support family caregivers and maximize patient outcomes, and students must be prepared for this environment. Building upon the interprofessional education (IPE) literature demonstrating the effectiveness of simulation to advance interprofessional teamwork and communication competencies, we integrated a dementia-focused, high-fidelity caregiver simulation into our university-wide longitudinal IPE program.
Goal and purpose: The purposes of this simulation were to facilitate interprofessional socialization, enhance students’ competencies in interprofessional communication and teamwork using a standardized patient role-playing a family caregiver of a parent with dementia, and prepare students for future clinical IPE activities.
Methods: The IPE simulation emphasized interactivity in two modules. One module presented communication and teamwork strategies, including the graphic perspective, ‘A Hidden Crisis’, to prepare students for their team planning meeting and telehealth caregiver encounter. Additional resources on caregiving were provided, including interviews with local caregivers. The second module included the simulation followed by a debrief involving local experts on dementia and caregiving. Our mixed-methods evaluation strategy focused on select IPE competencies and modification of attitudes/perceptions alongside acquisition of knowledge/skills using a 5-point Likert scale (1=strongly disagree to 5=strongly agree) for quantitative items coupled with open-ended items to capture written qualitative feedback.
Results: 769 students from 11 degree programs participated and 603 (78%) provided responses to evaluations. Mean scores for quantitative items on the cumulative evaluation (i.e., the overall experience) ranged from 4.16 to 4.36, indicating strong endorsement of improved IPE competencies, attitudinal change, knowledge/skill acquisition, and preparation for future clinical IPE activities. Thematic analysis produced nine themes supported by rich narratives that, collectively, demonstrated the simulation’s positive impact on students’ knowledge and views regarding effective communication, interprofessional insights, team-based, patient-centered care. Themes also highlighted areas for quality improvement, including logistics (how, when, and where the learning experience occurred), preparation (timing/sequencing, organization of learning materials, and deadline/grading criteria), and instructional clarity.
Conclusion: This IPE simulation intentionally targets the growing national crisis of an aging population burdened by dementia and the educational gap in training interprofessional teams to care for both patients and their caregivers. Our findings confirmed a successful impact on interprofessional teams’ teamwork and communication skills required to address this need.
In support of improving patient care, this activity is planned and implemented by The National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education Office of Interprofessional Continuing Professional Development (National Center OICPD). The National Center OICPD is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
As a Jointly Accredited Provider, the National Center is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved under this program. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. The National Center maintains responsibility for this course. Social workers completing this course receive continuing education credits.
The National Center OICPD (JA#: 4008105) is approved by the Board of Certification, Inc. to provide continuing education to Athletic Trainers (ATs).
This activity was planned by and for the healthcare team, and learners will receive Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) credit for learning and change.
Physicians: The National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education designates this live activity for AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with their participation.
Physician Assistants: The American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) accepts credit from organizations accredited by the ACCME.
Nurses: Participants will be awarded contact hours of credit for attendance at this workshop.
Nurse Practitioners: The American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Program (AANPCP) accepts credit from organizations accredited by the ACCME and ANCC.
Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians: This activity is approved for contact hours.
Athletic Trainers: This program is eligible for Category A hours/CEUs. ATs should claim only those hours actually spent in the educational program.
Social Workers: As a Jointly Accredited Organization, the National Center is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved under this program. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. The National Center maintains responsibility for this course. Social workers completing this course receive continuing education credits.
IPCE: This activity was planned by and for the healthcare team, and learners will receive Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) credits for learning and change.
Learners can claim CE credit by completing the Daily Evaluation.
