Interprofessional Curriculum Delivery: Experience of a Primary Care Education Program

Area of Science:

• Health Professions Education
• Interprofessional Care
• Curriculum Development

Background:

• Limited structured clinical experiences in postgraduate training for interprofessional care.
• Need for comprehensive curricula to foster collaborative healthcare practices.
• The Centers of Excellence in Primary Care Education (CoEPCE) initiative aimed to address this gap.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate changes in interprofessional education curricula over time.
• To assess the impact of the CoEPCE program on health profession trainees (HPTs).
• To identify factors influencing HPTs' perceptions of interprofessional curricula.

Main Methods:

• Annual surveys administered to 369 HPTs (physician, nurse practitioner, pharmacy, psychology residents).
• Calculation of indirect standardized ratios for curricular domains, system impacts, and program practices.
• Qualitative coding of narrative feedback to identify key program components and perceptions.

Main Results:

• Improvements observed in curricular domains, system impacts, and program practices across professions.
• Significant differences noted for associated health HPTs regarding performance improvement compared to other HPTs.
• Qualitative data revealed profession-specific differences in curriculum perception.

Conclusions:

• Interprofessional education programs showed positive development over time.
• Consideration of profession-specific identity is crucial for effective interprofessional curriculum design.
• Further refinement needed to optimize interprofessional care training for all health professions.