Date Presented Accepted for AOTA INSPIRE 2021 but unable to be presented due to online event limitations.
Interprofessional education (IPE) has been proven to provide a more integrated view of health care professionals' roles and promote improved patient care and outcomes. In recent years, more academic institutions have begun implementing IPE activities in an effort to develop more effective and successful practitioners. In this presentation, attendees will explore the findings of a systematic review that focuses on the outcomes of IPE activities on OT student practitioners.
Primary Author and Speaker: Patricia Watford
Additional Authors and Speakers: Emma Adams, Meg Carlton, and Kali Todd
PURPOSE: Healthcare is a continually evolving and growing field, requiring collaboration among many professionals to provide patient care. Interprofessional education (IPE) provides a way for healthcare professionals to work in teams by planning educational sessions in which multiple disciplines work together for a common purpose. Occupational therapists (OT) and occupational therapy assistants (OTA) play a crucial role in multiple healthcare teams across many settings. IPE activities should be evaluated during academic instruction, as studies have shown them to impact overall safety and effectiveness in overall patient care (Nonaillada, Gangai, Eichner, & Costas-Muniz, 2017). The purpose of this systematic review is to assess the current evidence supporting the use of IPE for OT and/or OTA students, and how it relates to improving student outcomes.
DESIGN: We conducted a systematic review of the available literature regarding the impact of interprofessional education on occupational therapy students. Inclusion criteria for this review were as follows: 1) at least 10% of the sample included OT and/or OTA students, 2) presented quantitative data in their results, and 4) presented results specifically pertaining to OT/OTA students. Qualitative studies were not included in this systematic review, however, quantitative data from any applicable mixed-method studies were included.
METHOD: A search using relevant terms was conducted in PubMed, ERIC, and CINAHL databases. Of the original 1,397 articles retrieved from these databases, only 19 articles met the inclusion criteria for further analysis. Data extraction and analysis of each article were conducted by two researchers to ensure consistency in data review. We evaluated each study included for bias by using the Effectiveness Study Checklist (Law & MacDermid, 2014). IPE interventions and student outcomes were extracted from each study included and comparisons were made.
RESULTS: A total of 19 articles were included.The included articles were all Level 3B (OCEBM Levels of Evidence Working Group, 2011). Preliminary results of these studies indicate that the quality of each study ranges between 20-29 on a scale of 0-48 (Law & MacDermid, 2014). Of the included studies, common outcome measures were the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS), cited by 47% of articles, and researcher developed questionnaires, used in 32% of articles. Overall, some level of improvement or positive outcome reported on OT or OTA students was indicated in 95% studies, and negative or neutral results were indicated in only 32% studies. IPE interventions used with OT/OTA students most frequently included simulation approaches (47% articles), case-based methods (26%), and IPE activities involving real clients (26%).
CONCLUSION: Because all of the included studies in this review were lower level studies, this review emphasizes the need for educators to conduct and publish higher level IPE research. This is important because articles with stronger evidence generally yield higher quality, more valid evidence on which to make educational decisions. Many studies that consisted of OT students as participants were excluded because they did not report specific OT scores in isolation. The following limitations should be considered: (i) this study did not include grey literature, and (ii) only 3 databases were searched. OT practitioners need to be part of healthcare teams and work effectively with others in a coordinated and effective manner. This study suggests that IPE preliminarily results in positive educational outcomes for OT or OTA students which is a priority topic for our profession.
References
Fox, L., Onders, R., Hermansen-Kobulnicky, C., Nguyen, T., Myran, L., Linn, B., & Hornecker, J. (2018). Teaching interprofessional teamwork skills to health professional students: A scoping review. Journal of Interprofessional Care, 32(2), 127-135. https://doi.org/10.1080/13561820.2017.1399868.
Law, M. & MacDermid, J. (2014). Appendix M and N (pp 392-400): Evaluation of Quality of an Intervention Study. In Evidence-Based Rehabilitation (3rd ed). Thorofare, NJ: SLACK, Inc.
Nonaillada, J., Gangai, N. C., Eichner, C., & Costas-Muniz, R. (2017). The geriatrics workforce enhancement program: Occupational therapy’s imperative role in interprofessional education. The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy, 5(3), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.15453/ 2168-6408.1378
OCEBM Levels of Evidence Working Group. (2011). The Oxford Levels of Evidence 2. Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine. Retrieved from http://www.cebm.net/index.aspz?o=5653
