Building an Innovative, Integrated, Interprofessional Longitudinal Curriculum

1. Building an Innovative, Integrated, Interprofessional Longitudinal Curriculum Susan P. Bruce, PharmD, BCPS, Seth P. Brownlee, PharmD, Sharon K. Hull, MD, MPH, John D. Sutton, MD Northeastern Ohio Universities Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy, Rootstown, OH Objectives Results Interprofessional education is essential for health professions educators to prepare future practitioners.1 This report describes the structure, successes and challenges of implementing an innovative, integrated curriculum bridging pharmacy and medicine. During the P1/M1 and P2/M2 years, students spend approximately 500 and 150 hours, respectively, together in basic science coursework (highlighted with in the grid) and longitudinal interprofessional activities (highlighted with n in the grid). Opportunities for P3/M3 interaction are limited since the medical students are off campus. Activities are planned for integration in the P3/M2 curricula, and will incorporate interprofessional activities between P4/M3 and P4/M4 when the pharmacy charter class enters APPEs. Challenges to implementing the interprofessional curriculum include scheduling, differences in assessment, and faculty/staff resources. light blue purple Background Creation of a doctor of pharmacy curriculum and revisions to a doctor of medicine curriculum provide an opportunity for integration of curricular content aimed to achieve 50% overlap between programs. Activities are interprofessional and interactive when possible. A longitudinal course sequence exists in both colleges. Longitudinal Curriculum Management Team leaders work with content experts in clinical sciences and the humanities to weave themes throughout the longitudinal courses (vertical integration). Longitudinal curriculum faculty work with faculty in courses running concurrently to integrate related content (horizontal integration). Initial efforts have focused on developing activities in the first 2 professional years. Planning is underway to develop programming for the final 2 years, including a proposed combined epilogue/ capstone at the end of the curriculum. Future Direction • Initiatives underway to continue building the interprofessional curriculum include: • Structuring student assessment around the IOM competencies for health professions education • Articulating a framework that clearly communicates the complexities of the longitudinal curriculum • Transitioning the existing Evidence Based Medicine course to an interprofessional course • Pursuing vertical/horizontal integration opportunities with the basic sciences courses • Developing interprofessional skills assessments Example of Horizontal Integration Examples of Vertical Integration • Blending Basic Sciences & Longitudinal Curricular Themes • Year 1, Block 4 (duration 8 weeks) • Brain, Mind & Behavior: Medicine and pharmacy students learn normal and abnormal function of the central nervous system. This course serves as a foundation for future courses in both disciplines including Pharmacotherapeutics (pharmacy students) and Principles of Medicine (medicine students). • Longitudinal Curriculum: themes emphasized in this block include professional identity, professionalism and patient care. Building on the concepts covered in BMB, interprofessional activities focus on: • Suicide & depression presentation in the health professional • Impaired professionals • Ethics (involuntary commitment, understanding autism, pain management) • IMPACTS Project2 • Years 1-2 (duration 18 months) • Interprofessional Medicine and Pharmacy students Addressing Community health Through Service • Longitudinal interprofessional team based project whereby students identify a health related issue affecting their assigned community and proposed an evidence-based mechanism to overcome the issue • Incorporated competencies: population health, evidence-based medicine, practice based learning, communication skills, interprofessional teamwork and professionalism Longitudinal Curricular Themes Implications Patient Care This model provides numerous scholarship opportunities. Dissemination of our findings has occurred and will continue with increased experience. Population Health Service Longitudinal Curriculum References • Heart Disease Group Project3 • Year 2 (duration 6 months) • Longitudinal interprofessional team based, self-directed case regarding the care of a single patient • Incorporated competencies: patient care, medical knowledge, practice based learning, evidence-based medicine, systems based learning, communication skills, interprofessional teamwork and professionalism Example of Integration Across Colleges Greiner AC, Knebel E (Eds.) Health professions education: a bridge to quality. Institute of Medicine, 2003. Bruce, SP, McGory RM, Hull SK, Sutton JD. IMPACTS Project: Interprofessional Medicine and Pharmacy students Addressing Community health Through Service. Presented at the 2009 AACP Annual Meeting. Ulbrich TR, Sutton JD, McEwen HA, et al. The Heart Disease Group Project (HDGP): A Longitudinal, Team-Based, Self-Study Case Using Interprofessional Teams. Presented at the 2010 AACP Annual Meeting. • Patient Interviewing • Year 1 Prologue, Block 1 longitudinal curriculum • Pharmacy and medicine students learn interviewing technique and practice multiple times by interacting with standardized patients in the Wasson Clinical Skills Assessment Center • Incorporated competencies: patient care, professional identity, communication skills, professionalism Professional Identity Professionalism