Value of Interprofessional Education: The VA Quality Scholars Program.

Area of Science:

• Healthcare education
• Interprofessional collaboration
• Quality improvement

Background:

• Formal interprofessional education (IPE) training is often insufficient despite its known benefits for healthcare quality and patient safety.
• The VA Quality Scholars (VAQS) program aims to cultivate leaders and scholars in healthcare improvement through interprofessional training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of integrating interprofessional learners and curriculum design within the national VAQS program.
• To assess alumni perceptions of interprofessional collaboration (IPC) skill development and utilization.

Main Methods:

• A web-based survey was administered to VAQS alumni (2001-2017) from eight national sites (n=102).
• The survey assessed alumni's perceptions of IPC skill development during the program and its application in their careers.
• Alumni data was analyzed comparing pre- and post-IPE curriculum implementation periods.

Main Results:

• Interprofessional collaboration (IPC) and teamwork were identified as the most utilized skills by alumni (70%).
• Alumni who participated in the post-IPE period reported the greatest skill development in IPC and teamwork.
• The integration of interprofessional trainees and a robust IPE curriculum enhanced the VAQS program's effectiveness.

Conclusions:

• The VAQS program demonstrates a successful model for health professionals to acquire essential IPC skills within a quality improvement (QI) framework.
• Alumni strongly endorsed the value of IPC skills acquired through the program for their professional careers.
• Integrating interprofessional education significantly improved the established QI training program.