Background, Problem, Aims: To strengthen IPE simulation focused on interprofessional communication, part of preparing students for collaborative practice, health professions educators should deliberately incorporate hybrid instructional methods to bypass logistical hurdles and longitudinal approaches to achieve higher-level learning outcomes. The LINC Simulation IPE Experience at UT Health San Antonio—designed as part of a university-wide effort to do just that—began in 2023 with 769 students representing 11 different professions at/near the middle of their respective educational programs. This high-fidelity simulation uses a standardized patient role-playing a family caregiver of a parent with dementia and aims to facilitate interprofessional socialization, enhance students’ competencies in interprofessional communication and teamwork, and prepare students for future clinical IPE activities. Substantive modifications were made in 2024 in response to 2023 assessment data. We utilized self-reported outcomes with evaluation items rated on a Likert scale, as is ubiquitous in the published literature.
Methods: The IPE simulation emphasized interactivity in two modules. The first presented communication and teamwork strategies for team planning and the telehealth caregiver encounter. Local caregiver and interprofessional team interviews were provided resources. The second module was a telehealth simulation followed by a debrief involving local experts on dementia and caregiving. Modifications made in 2024 included additional diagnoses and caregiver complaints to increase inclusivity of select educational programs. Our mixed-methods evaluation strategy focused on select IPE competencies and 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: After modifications to the activity, 1054 students representing 13 different professions participated, 961 (91.2%) provided responses to evaluations. Mean scores for quantitative items on the cumulative evaluation (i.e., the overall experience) ranged from 4.22 to 4.43 in 2024, increased from 4.16 to 4.36 in 2023, indicating increased endorsement of improved IPE competencies, knowledge/skill acquisition, and preparation for future clinical IPE activities. Fifteen themes emerged from the qualitative analysis: Health outcomes, Culture, Humility, Well-being, Team function, Decision-making skills, Problem-solving skills, Reasoning, Power and Position, Expertise, Diverse, Conflict management, Communication skills, Appreciation, and Respect.
Conclusion: This high-fidelity IPE simulation intentionally targets the growing national crisis of an aging population burdened by dementia and the educational gap training interprofessional teams for collaborative practice to care for both patients and their caregivers. Modifications augmented the impact of this experience on interprofessional teams’ teamwork and communication skills required to address this need.