Training interprofessional teams in geriatric emergency medicine: A modified team-based learning approach

Older adults deserve special healthcare provision in every branch of medicine. Turkey currently does not have geriatric emergency medicine (GEM) subspecialty training. Thus, interprofessional training for healthcare professionals involved in GEM services is required. Team-based learning (TBL) seems suitable to implement such training. We aimed to develop and implement a training program for healthcare professionals engaged with GEM services, and evaluate the program considering teacher and learner satisfaction and knowledge retention.

This was a design-based study in which a one-day GEM training program was developed based on the literature and expert opinions. The program was applied to 54 physicians, 98 nurses, 70 health officers, and 102 paramedics using a modified version of TBL. Teams included at least one representative from each profession. TBL was modified by adding a 1-h lecture and eliminating peer evaluation. Feedback forms, individual and group tests of TBL, and a retention test conducted six months later were used for program evaluation.

The mean group test score was higher than that of individual tests in all professions. Physicians' individual test scores were higher than those of other professions, but this difference disappeared in the group test. The retention test mean score was higher than the individual test mean score but lower than that of the group test. Teacher and learner satisfaction was high.

We implemented a training program using a modified TBL approach to teach GEM to relevant healthcare professionals; it yielded promising results regarding knowledge gain and retention, as well as teacher and learner satisfaction. The instruction design and method used in this study can be applied to multidisciplinary team training.