Evaluation of an Interprofessional Learning Experience for Telephone Consultations

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Interprofessional Communication
• Healthcare Simulation

Background:

• Limited training exists for healthcare students in performing telephone consultations.
• Telephone consultations are crucial for healthcare professional communication when in-person interactions are not feasible.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a simulated case for interprofessional telephone consultation training.
• To explore the suitability of a simulation for physical therapy and medical students.

Main Methods:

• A simulated telephone consultation was conducted with physical therapy and medical students.
• Interprofessional communication was assessed using the IPASS verbal handoff and focus group interviews.
• Key information exchange was evaluated across seven interprofessional groups.

Main Results:

• Students showed high agreement on the IPASS assessment, indicating effective communication skills.
• Most groups successfully communicated key information and agreed on patient care recommendations.
• Challenges were noted in conveying relevant past medical history, despite student confidence.

Conclusions:

• The simulation effectively enabled students to identify communication skills and the need for clarity in provider interactions.
• Essential components for efficient telephone consultations were identified.
• Opportunities for enhancing interprofessional telephone interactions were highlighted.