MedEdPORTAL (Jan 2013)
Acknowledging Roles and Abilities of Team Members: A Simulated Geriatric Care Team Meeting With the Coopers
Abstract
Abstract Introduction Learning to practice interprofessionally requires knowledge of and appreciation for the roles and responsibilities of other health professionals. This 90-minute module is designed for small groups of 12 first-year students drawn from multiple health professions programs, making the interdisciplinary experience genuine. Methods The primary activity is a simulated interdisciplinary team (IDT) meeting where students are assigned roles of different health professionals on the IDT or roles of family members. The meeting goal is to prioritize residential placement options for an elderly couple, Mr. and Mrs. Cooper, following Mrs. Cooper's discharge from a skilled nursing facility. Nine health professionals are introduced with regard to roles/responsibilities and training (dietitian, geriatrician, pharmacist, physical therapist, physician assistant, registered nurse, rehabilitation counselor, social worker, and study coordinator). Through this exercise students are exposed to the roles/skills and training of different health professionals and practice working respectfully with individuals of other professions in a team setting. The activity was preceded by a 30 minute orientation for participating faculty. Students and faculty completed a survey at the conclusion of the small-group learning experience. Session activities are linked to selected competencies for interprofessional collaborative practice as defined by the Interprofessional Education Collaborative. Results The simulated team meeting was conducted as a component of Convergence, an initiative for interprofessional education at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. Forty groups met simultaneously for 1.5 hours to complete the exercise. Formative assessments of Convergence are based on participant surveys and pre- and postdata from a knowledge and attitude probe. Survey responses indicated that this was a valuable interprofessional exercise for students in our health science center, with the sizable majority of faculty and students agreeing or strongly agreeing. Primary disagreement related to relevance for graduate students. Selected comments as to the effectiveness of the session follow: “I felt that finally in this third session, the various students interacted with one another. The simulated team conference contributed to that,” “I was afraid there was too much content but in fact the session worked really well,” “The cards with the role and case information were helpful to engage all in the discussion. Perhaps this technique can be used in an earlier session.” Discussion This is an introductory-level activity in exposing first-year students to the roles, training, and responsibilities of various health professionals. It is an immersive activity in providing specific information for students to share in a team meeting that leads to lively discussion to prioritize residential options for a patient and her family.
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