Advancing Cultural Awareness of Interprofessional Allied Health Students: Interviews with Community Members from Minoritized Backgrounds.

Abstract

Students from the Pat Capps Covey College of Allied Health Professions at the University of South Alabama in the Audiology, Physician Assistant Studies, and Speech-Language Pathology graduate programs participated in an experiential learning program to engage their overall understanding of three aspects related to cultural awareness: social determinants of health, social justice, and implicit bias. First-year students (n=95) were randomly assigned into interprofessional teams and a pre-test was given prior to the start of the project. A didactic portion followed the pretest and then students conducted interviews with individuals from minoritized backgrounds regarding their real-life experiences with the healthcare system and healthcare practitioners. Students concluded the project by completing a post-test evaluation and provided feedback through a post-program survey. Students' mean performance on the pre-test was 11.46 and post-test was 12.19, out of a possible 15, which was statistically significantly improved (p <0.001, d = 0.42), indicating improved knowledge of cultural awareness topics following participation in the program. Overall, students' awareness of social determinants of health, social justice, and implicit bias improved. Students reported particular value in the experiential interaction with community members from minoritized backgrounds.