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Multidisciplinary approach to home-health care: a pilot study
Purpose:
The purpose of this pilot study was to determine whether there was a difference between a multidisciplinary approach (joint home visits) and the traditional approach (solo visits) in the effect on dental hygiene (DH) and nursing (BSN) baccalaureate students' knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes about home-health care and the elderly.
Methods:
Thirty-one DH and 16 BSN students participated in the study. They completed a pre- and post-test questionnaire about home-health care and the elderly, and were randomly assigned to either a research group or a control group. The research group was required to make three joint home visits to a home-health patient, while the control group made three solo visits.
Results:
Repeated measures ANOVA's were used for statistical analysis of the data. There was a significant difference in the effects for program and pre to post-test on the knowledge questions for the DH students. Making a joint home visit was not significant. The ANOVA found no significant differences on the attitude questions, but there were significant differences in students' perceptions about the elderly pre to post-test for the entire sample.
Conclusion:
DH students' scores increased significantly more than the BSN students' scores on the knowledge questions. Student attitudes about working together did not change pre to post-test, but students' perceptions did change significantly in both groups. Joint home visits were not a significant factor in the students' knowledge, perceptions, or attitudes.