Making a Case for Multimodal IPE: Developing a Competency-Based Interprofessional Curriculum for Health Professions...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Rural Health
• Interprofessional Practice

Background:

• Interprofessional education (IPE) is crucial for healthcare training.
• Rural learners often face unique challenges in accessing comprehensive IPE.
• Technology can bridge geographical barriers in education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of a multimodal IPE curriculum for rural learners.
• To assess the impact of the IPE curriculum on interprofessional competencies.
• To determine learner satisfaction with the rural IPE program.

Main Methods:

• A 4-year mixed-methods study involving 113 learners and 7 faculty facilitators.
• Participants from Physician Assistant Studies, Social Work, Imaging Sciences, and Medicine programs.
• Utilized quantitative rating scales and qualitative open-response items.

Main Results:

• Statistically significant improvements in interprofessional competencies were observed.
• A medium-large effect size indicated practical significance of the gains.
• Learner satisfaction and faculty facilitation were rated highly across all 4 years.

Conclusions:

• The Rural IPE program curriculum effectively enhanced interprofessional competencies in rural learners.
• Technology integration was key to meaningfully engaging rural students.
• The findings support the scalability and effectiveness of technology-enhanced IPE in rural settings.