Interprofessional Approach to Educate Health Care Students About Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities:...

Area of Science:

• Health Professions Education
• Disability Studies
• Interprofessional Education

Background:

• People with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD) are a marginalized group requiring complex healthcare.
• Healthcare students often lack adequate training in caring for patients with IDD.
• Improving student training can enhance healthcare quality for this population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate an interprofessional seminar series for healthcare students.
• To increase students' knowledge, attitudes, and skills in caring for patients with IDD.
• To address a gap in healthcare professional training regarding IDD.

Main Methods:

• A two-part interprofessional seminar series was delivered via Zoom.
• Methods included presentations, mock interviews, and breakout discussions on adaptive communication and activity planning.
• Participants included undergraduate and graduate students from occupational therapy, medicine, and nursing programs.

Main Results:

• Pre- and postsurveys indicated increased participant comfort and confidence.
• Part 1 had 208 participants; Part 2 had 107 participants.
• Students desired more direct interaction with people with IDD to practice skills.

Conclusions:

• The seminar series shows promise for improving IDD healthcare training.
• Future iterations should include direct interaction and skills-based assessments.
• Curriculum should address healthcare inequities faced by marginalized individuals with IDD.