The development and evaluation of an interdisciplinary health training program: a pharmacy perspective

Area of Science:

• Health Professions Education
• Interprofessional Healthcare
• Team-Based Care

Background:

• Traditional health professional education often occurs in silos.
• Effective healthcare delivery increasingly relies on interdisciplinary collaboration.
• Pharmacy students require training in team dynamics for ambulatory care settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate an integrated training program for pharmacy and other health professional students.
• To assess the impact of team-based care training on student knowledge, attitudes, and skills.
• To enhance understanding of interprofessional roles and patient care in an ambulatory setting.

Main Methods:

• Involved pharmacy and health professional students in an ongoing team model of healthcare delivery.
• Utilized specialty and team-based care delivery, weekly interdisciplinary seminars, and problem-solving activities.
• Included the development of an interdisciplinary team project.

Main Results:

• Students reported increased knowledge and positive attitudes toward interdisciplinary teams.
• Training enhanced student sensitivity to patients and understanding of urban community healthcare challenges.
• Students demonstrated improved comprehension of other health professionals' roles and team integration.

Conclusions:

• Structured interdisciplinary training effectively prepares health professional students for team-based care.
• The program fosters a better understanding of collaborative practice and diverse patient needs.
• This model enhances students' readiness for integrated healthcare delivery in ambulatory settings.