Laura Romito, Joe Thomas, and Cynthia Stone, School of Dentistry
Principal Investigator: Laura Romito, professor, Department of Biomedical and Applied Sciences, School of Dentistry
Co- Principal Investigators: Joe Thomas, program manager, and Cynthia Stone, professor, Health Policy and Management
Project Title: Peer Led Team Learning in an Interprofessional Practice and Education Curriculum
Funding Level: $14,992
Abstract:
Interprofessional education (IPE) is a means to improve communication and teamwork amongst healthcare providers, with the goals of improving health outcomes, reducing healthcare costs and improving patient satisfaction. To enhance health professions students’ ability to be collaboration‐ready upon graduation, Indiana University’s Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education has developed a longitudinal IPE curriculum for learners across its health sciences schools. The competency‐based Team Education Advancing Collaboration in Healthcare (TEACH) curriculum is composed of six interprofessional learning events, or anchors (IPLAs), which span students’ interprofessional knowledge and skill level, from exposure to entry to practice. The proposed project, Peer Led Team Learning (PLTL) in an Interprofessional Practice and Education Curriculum, will involve the integration of Peer Leaders to serve as facilitators for interprofessional teams of students participating in the IUPUI section of Interprofessional Learning Anchor #3 of the TEACH curriculum. Peer leaders (PLs) will be recruited from a pool of students who have previously completed IPLA #3 in the 2016‐17 academic year and meet the criteria established for participation. PLs will receive extensive mentoring and training in facilitating IPE, exchange peer feedback, and will be asked to reflect intentionally on their experiences within IPE and in serving as a facilitator for teams involving multiple health professions. Qualitative and quantitative assessments will be conducted to determine if student learning outcomes can be achieved with Peer Leaders, what impact participating in the program has on the Peer Leaders, and if the Peer Leader model is feasible and sustainable for interprofessional learning environments.