Piloting an interprofessional virtual cadaveric dissection course: Responding to COVID-19.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Interprofessional Learning
• Anatomy Dissection

Background:

• Interprofessional learning is crucial for developing clinical and collaborative competencies.
• The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a shift from in-person to virtual educational formats.
• Virtual interprofessional cadaveric dissection (ICD) courses emerged as an alternative to traditional in-person education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effects of virtual ICD courses versus in-person ICD courses on students' readiness for interprofessional learning.
• To assess students' perceptions of interprofessional learning after participating in virtual or in-person ICD courses.
• To identify student feedback on the advantages, disadvantages, and preferences regarding virtual and in-person ICD.

Main Methods:

• A comparative study involving students who attended in-person (2019-2020) and virtual (2020-2021) ICD courses.
• Utilized the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) and Interdisciplinary Education Perception Scale (IEPS) for quantitative assessment.
• Conducted qualitative analysis of written feedback from students in the virtual cohort.

Main Results:

• Both virtual and in-person ICD courses demonstrated significant improvements in students' interprofessional learning scores.
• The virtual cohort showed significant improvements in overall RIPLS scores and the roles and responsibilities sub-score.
• No significant differences in interprofessional learning perceptions were found between the virtual and in-person cohorts.

Conclusions:

• Virtual ICD courses appear to be as effective as in-person courses in enhancing students' interprofessional learning.
• Students perceived similar benefits in interprofessional competencies regardless of the delivery mode.
• Despite comparable learning outcomes, students expressed a preference for in-person settings for anatomy dissection skills.