Evaluating interprofessional education: initial learning from a domestic abuse conference

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Social Work
• Education

Background:

• Multi-agency working is crucial for domestic abuse identification, prevention, and reduction.
• Interprofessional learning enhances collaborative approaches for vulnerable children and families.
• Diverse professionals, including healthcare, education, and law enforcement, attended the conference.

Purpose of the Study:

• Educate on domestic abuse as a public health issue.
• Improve identification of and response to domestic violence indicators.
• Explore interprofessional collaboration and its challenges.

Main Methods:

• Multidisciplinary educators delivered presentations and workshops.
• Anonymized pre- and post-conference questionnaires assessed knowledge and confidence.
• Quantitative (Likert scale) and qualitative data were collected.

Main Results:

• All conference aims were met, with increased post-conference knowledge and confidence scores.
• Interprofessional group work was highlighted as beneficial for learning.
• 100% of participants agreed facilitators created a supportive learning environment.

Conclusions:

• The conference offered valuable interprofessional learning on domestic abuse.
• Participants reported increased knowledge and confidence in their roles and responsibilities.
• The training fostered a supportive environment for collaborative practice.