All on the Same Team: Simulated Learning to Introduce Pediatric Residents to Interprofessional Collaboration With...

Our study sought to determine if participation in a simulated Individualized Education Program (IEP) meeting improved pediatric medical residents' attitudes toward the IEP team as an interprofessional health care team.

Pediatric medical residents on the Developmental-Behavioral and Advocacy rotations at an urban medical center participated in a simulated IEP eligibility meeting for a case of a fourth grader with a specific learning disability. Standardized actors portrayed the child's parent, principal, school psychologist, and classroom teacher. Residents were instructed to participate as members of the team. After participation, changes in the residents' readiness to participate on the IEP team were measured by the Interprofessional Socialization and Valuing Scale 9A (presimulation) and 9B (postsimulation).

Sixty-six pediatric residents participated over 24 months. The mean scores of the aggregate pre- (4.92, SD = 0.83) and postsurveys (5.75, SD = 0.74) illustrated residents' improvement in 3 areas of interprofessional practice: understanding their role as a member of an IEP team; appreciation of an IEP team as an interprofessional health care team; and comfort and confidence in working as a member of an IEP team (Z = -6.37; p < 0.001; r = 0.78). Comparison of disaggregated data illustrated improvement for post-graduate year 1 (Z = -4.95; p < 0.001; r = 0.85) and categorical pediatric residents (Z = -5.86; p < 0.001; r = 0.83).

Simulated IEP meetings help pediatric residents reconceptualize their role in the school health of children with disabilities to include participation in and understanding of the IEP process.