Implementing and evaluating a community-based, inter-institutional, interprofessional education pilot programme

Many health professions programmes have begun integrating interprofessional learning into their curricula; however, community-based interprofessional education (IPE) initiatives are relatively scarce. The Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance IPE Faculty Collaborative, comprised of faculty from five institutions, developed a community-based IPE programme that allowed students to engage in meaningful interprofessional activities while exposing them to social determinants of health. Thirty students from ten professions were divided into six teams and paired with three community organisations. Each team engaged community organisation staff and clients to develop practical solutions to their priorities. Teams participated in debriefings and team-building exercises to further support interprofessional learning. Students' comfort working with others (CWO), value in working with others (VWO), and self-perceived ability (SPA) to work with others were assessed using the Interprofessional Socialisation and Valuing Scale (ISVS). Mean rank scores in all three subcategories increased significantly from baseline (CWO: z = -4.11, p < 0.0001; VWO: z = -3.41. p = 0.001; SPA: z = -2.79, p = 0.005). In addition, programme evaluations suggest the programme improved students' understanding of social determinants of health. Our findings align with those of two other community-based IPE initiatives and support the expansion of IPE efforts beyond traditional settings.