Interprofessional Education Within a Pilot HIV-Care Elective Course.

Area of Science:

• Interprofessional Education (IPE)
• HIV/AIDS Research
• Health Professions Education

Background:

• Health professions students require specialized knowledge and interprofessional skills for effective HIV care.
• Existing curricula may not adequately prepare students for the complexities of HIV prevention, treatment, and patient support.
• Fostering early interest and confidence in HIV care is crucial for building a competent future workforce.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and implement an IPE course to enhance knowledge of HIV history, prevention, and therapy.
• To improve health professions students' interest and confidence in interprofessional collaborative practice for people living with HIV.
• To establish a sustainable interprofessional format for HIV education.

Main Methods:

• A motivational design framework was employed to create the IPE course.
• The course integrated complex scenarios, team-based learning, and experiential activities.
• Quantitative and qualitative data were collected using evaluation tools and student assignments.

Main Results:

• Students reported positive course experiences and increased confidence in interprofessional competencies.
• A significant percentage of students expressed future intent to be involved in HIV care (93% in 2017, 68% in 2018).
• Students demonstrated high knowledge of the National HIV Curriculum by the course's end.

Conclusions:

• The designed IPE course effectively improved students' HIV knowledge and interprofessional collaborative skills.
• This educational approach provides a sustainable model for interprofessional HIV training.
• The course successfully increased students' confidence and interest in caring for people living with HIV.