Leveraging Medical Simulation for Faculty Development in Interprofessional Education: A Pilot Study

Area of Science:

• Health Professions Education
• Medical Simulation Pedagogy
• Interprofessional Collaboration

Background:

• Faculty development is crucial for implementing Interprofessional Education (IPE).
• Medical simulation offers an innovative pedagogical approach for health sciences training.
• Assessing faculty knowledge and perceptions is key to successful IPE program integration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate faculty perceptions and knowledge of Interprofessional Education (IPE) before and after a faculty development program.
• To assess the impact of medical simulation as a pedagogical tool in IPE faculty development.
• To identify faculty-generated insights on the application of IPE in healthcare training.

Main Methods:

• Mixed-methods pilot study involving 30 health professions faculty.
• Pre- and post-survey administration to measure IPE knowledge and perceptions.
• Paired t-tests for quantitative survey data analysis and thematic analysis of semi-structured focus groups.

Main Results:

• Statistically significant increase in faculty knowledge and positive perceptions of IPE post-program.
• Focus group data corroborated survey findings, highlighting key themes for IPE implementation.
• Participants emphasized IPE's role in developing soft skills, addressing biases, and fostering team cohesion.

Conclusions:

• Faculty development programs incorporating medical simulation effectively enhance IPE knowledge and perceptions.
• IPE is vital for cultivating a new culture in healthcare, promoting interprofessional teamwork and communication.
• Further research should explore sustained impact and broader implementation strategies for IPE.