Interprofessional objective structured clinical examination with physician assistant and pharmacy students - A...

Area of Science:

• Health Professions Education
• Interprofessional Practice
• Medical Simulation

Background:

• Assessing the impact of interprofessional objective structured clinical examinations (iOSCE) on student attitudes toward interprofessional practice (IPP).
• Evaluating the effect of interprofessional collaboration between pharmacy and physician assistant (PA) students on simulated patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of an iOSCE on student perceptions of IPP.
• To determine if interprofessional collaboration improves simulated patient outcomes.

Main Methods:

• An iOSCE was designed with interprofessional faculty, including a case and grading checklist.
• Students individually reviewed cases, then collaborated in interprofessional teams to recommend patient care interventions.
• The Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) questionnaire assessed attitudes pre- and post-iOSCE.

Main Results:

• A 21% absolute increase in key interventions was observed when comparing average individual to average team scores (2.11/5 vs. 3.18/5, p < 0.001).
• Student attitudes towards interprofessional education (IPE) were positive pre-iOSCE and strengthened post-iOSCE, as indicated by RIPLS responses.
• 187 students (86 PA, 101 pharmacy) participated, with significant improvement in collaborative performance.

Conclusions:

• iOSCEs facilitate learning between students from different health professions, enhancing patient care.
• Students gain valuable perspective on the roles and skills of interprofessional colleagues through iOSCEs.
• This educational approach appears effective in preparing students for collaborative healthcare environments.