Discharging Mrs. Fox: A Team-Based Interprofessional Collaborative Standardized Patient Encounter.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Healthcare Professions Training
• Interprofessional Collaboration

Background:

• The Institute of Medicine recommended interprofessional education (IPE) in 2003 for healthcare professionals.
• Logistical challenges often impede formal IPE in healthcare programs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a feasible 3-hour interprofessional small-group session for health professions students.
• To evaluate the educational value of a standardized patient encounter focused on collaborative care planning.

Main Methods:

• A 3-hour interprofessional small-group session involving standardized patient encounters.
• Students from medicine, nursing, and pharmacy collaborated on care plans across five discharge decisions.
• A debriefing session addressed bias, communication, and collaborative care plan creation.

Main Results:

• 106 students participated; 84 completed post-event surveys (79% response rate).
• Participants felt the experience enhanced integration of knowledge, care plan creation, and understanding of interprofessional collaboration.
• Debriefing and interprofessional interaction were key components.

Conclusions:

• The interprofessional activity is feasible, requiring minimal faculty time and resources.
• The session is adaptable to various institutional needs, resources, and trainee levels.
• It offers a valuable opportunity for students to engage in collaborative decision-making during critical care transitions.