Can We Learn in the Sandbox Together?: Interprofessional Case Conferences as Facilitation Tools
Abstract
Duke Medicine utilized interprofessional case conferences (ICCs) from 2008-2012 with the objective of modeling and facilitating development of teamwork skills among diverse health profession students, including physical therapy, physician assistant, medical doctor and nursing. The purpose of this publication was to describe the operational process used to develop and implement the ICCs and measure the success of the ICCs in order to shape future work. The ICCs were offered to develop skills and attitudes essential for participation in healthcare teams. Students were facilitated by faculty of different professions to conduct a comprehensive historical assessment of a standardized patient (SP), determine pertinent physical and lab assessments to undertake, and develop and share a comprehensive management plan. Cases included patient problems that were authentic and relevant to each professional student in attendance. The main barriers to implementation are outlined and the focus on the process of working together is highlighted. Evaluation showed high satisfaction rates among participants and the outcomes from these experiences are presented. The limitations of these results are discussed and recommendations for future assessment are emphasized. The ICCs demonstrated that students will come together voluntarily to learn in teams, even at a research-focused institution, and express benefit from the collaborative exercise.
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Scholars@Duke

Elizabeth Fromm Ross
My research interests lie in the area of teaching communication skills to health professionals.

Jeffrey Kyle Covington
Dr. Covington is a neurologic physical therapist and 2004 graduate of the Duke DPT Program. He joined the faculty in 2007 and served as the Associate Director of Clinical Education from 2007-2014. During that time he led DPT Clinical STEPs® (Student Team Experience in Practice) course series in the first six semesters of the curriculum which places teams of students in clinical practice during their course work. The creation of this new clinical education curricular format included significant educational program planning, assessment and evaluation. In 2015, Dr. Covington completed his PhD in Educational Research and Policy Analysis at North Carolina State University. Study emphases included adult learning theory, educational program planning and assessment. In 2015 Dr. Covington was named the Duke DPT Program's Director of Assessment and Evaluation. In addition, Dr. Covington's experience as a neurologic PT is utilized in the classroom during our Foundational Examination and Neurologic Practice Management Course work. Dr. Covington's research interests in collaborative student learning, and professional development of physical therapists and their embodied use of movement in expert practice.

Victoria Susan Kaprielian
Curriculum design and evaluation
Interprofessional teamwork and education
Quality improvement in clinical care and education
Population-based care

Patricia McKelvey Dieter
Experienced medical educator and administrator with strong background in program development, evaluation, and leadership. Extensive experience in accreditation, US and international interprofessional education.
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