Interprofessional ambulatory primary care practice-based educational program

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Education
• Interprofessional Collaboration
• Primary Care Medicine

Background:

• Interprofessional teamwork is crucial for enhancing patient outcomes.
• Limited controlled studies exist on interprofessional training in ambulatory primary care settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe and evaluate an educational program for interprofessional teams in primary care.
• To assess the impact of collaborative training on healthcare learners' attitudes and skills.

Main Methods:

• An interprofessional training program involving nurse practitioners, family medicine residents, and social work students.
• Longitudinal patient care delivery within primary care ambulatory clinics.
• Program evaluation conducted over three years, including learner self-assessments.

Main Results:

• Learners showed increased appreciation for the training program and the value of interprofessional teams.
• Team learners reported improved skills in collaboration, conflict resolution, and integrating health promotion.
• Learners gained awareness of their own profession's limitations in team-based care.

Conclusions:

• Interprofessional ambulatory clinical training in primary care fosters positive learner attitudes toward teamwork.
• This training model effectively develops essential interprofessional team skills for healthcare learners.