Computer Supported Interprofessional Education for Improving Health Profession Students’ Attitudes Toward Teamwork and Team Performance

Computer Supported Interprofessional Education for Improving Health Profession Students’ Attitudes Toward Teamwork and Team Performance

This presentation will present results from a study that investigated the effect computer supported interprofessional education (CSIE) had on healthcare profession students’ attitudes toward healthcare teamwork and to what extent computer supported group processing impacted student perceptions of team performance. A hybrid approach to interprofessional education, CSIE, was used to provide students with an educational experience that combined the benefits of traditional face-to-face communication with a computer-mediated platform.

JeffersonCenterfor InterProfessional Education has successfully been providing IPE to healthcare students for over 5 years. A long term strategic goal was identified to “create innovative learning environments that support interprofessional education including state-of-the-art technologies”. In actualizing this goal, the curriculum was enhanced with an online discussion forum to assist in student group processing and reflection.

A pretest-posttest design was used to answer: (a) Does computer supported interprofessional education affects the attitudes toward healthcare teamwork? And (b) To what extent are perceptions of team performance affected by a computer supported interprofessional education component on enhancing group processing and teamwork? Student attitudes and perceptions were measured before and after participating in CSIE.

Results from the Team Performance Scale showed a significant increase in student’s perceptions pre to post CSIE signifying students perceived their team to be functioning better after participating in CSIE. Results of the Attitudes Toward Healthcare Teams survey did not show a statistical significance increase, however the data showed an upward trend in attitude scores.

The findings support the importance of utilizing reflection for team processing and further endorses the need for integration of computer supported interprofessional education within healthcare curriculums. Curriculum planners can utilize these results to integrate effective interprofessional strategies that incorporate CSIE to positively impact student attitudes of teamwork.

Learning Objectives: At the end of this session, participants will:

1. Discuss one way to enhance IPE communication using technology.

2. Identify one computer supported strategy to encourage reflection after an IPE experience.