Disease Management in the Respiratory Therapy Curriculum

Abstract

Background:

Comprehending disease management (DM) in a variety pulmonary conditions is a major pillar in building the future for Respiratory Therapy (RT) practice. Appropriate DM has been demonstrated to impact health outcomes in the healthcare system. The purpose of the study was to explore the extent to which DM is included in the RT program curriculum.

Methods:

Following IRB approval, two separate surveys were created: one for PDs and one for RT students graduating in 6 months or less. 433 Respiratory Therapy PDs throughout the United States were sent the link and PDs were asked to forward to their students. Each group was asked about the implementation of DM competencies into the RT curriculum, and students were asked about their level of preparedness and confidence to implement DM competencies.

Results:

101 PDs responded, most from Associate Degree programs (67%). The DM competencies (11 out of 15) were implemented in didactic, lab, and clinical settings. Some PDs (28%) stated that they do not have a dedicated DM course and 2/92 (2.17%) were working toward implementation. PD's stated that in the community their programs lacked experiences evaluating the patient disease process, implementing patient education tools, collaborating with other professions, and smoking cessation counseling. Barriers to including content were identified as resources (44%), time (36%), and faculty (2%). 190 students participated, mostly from Bachelor's degree programs (50%). Students felt unprepared and were not confident in the following areas: providing education on nutrition/wellness, economic support, developing action plans, documenting outcomes, smoking cessation counseling, and evaluating health literacy.

Conclusions:

Increasing DM education in the curriculum is consistent with the current evolution of Respiratory Therapy practice. Opportunities for exposure to learning these skills may be abundant in the RT curriculum, such as community style clinical rotations, modules on health literacy, and online learning modules. These may be incorporated into the curriculum to benefit the students and the community. Broadening the Respiratory Therapists' skills and competencies to areas outside of the acute care environment has the possibility to impact health outcomes and reduce readmissions related to improper disease management, thereby demonstrating the value of the RT to the interprofessional healthcare team.