Introducing Interprofessional Education and Care Concepts in a Geriatric Multilevel Centre: Development and Introduction of a Toolkit for Staff and Students

Abstract

Background: Although interprofessional education (IPE) is not new, there has been limited research in IPE focused on the care of older adults. The objective of this study was to develop and implement an interprofessional education and care (IPE/C) toolkit, to help staff and students understand and apply the concepts of IPE/C. Methods and Findings: Focus groups identified staff and students’ understanding of IPE/C and informed development of an IPE/C toolkit comprised of IPE/C tools and resources. Five clinical teams (N = 51) attended workshops that introduced the toolkit and educated teams about IPE/C. Focus group participants had heard of but had limited exposure to IPE/C. Responses to the Attitudes Toward Health Care Teams (ATHT) questionnaire indicated a positive trend on all questions; 2 questions in subscale 1 were statistically significant (p = .01 & p = .005), indicating a positive attitude toward teams and teamwork. Several limitations were identified, including inconsistent attendance at workshops, scheduling challenges, and limited physician participation. Conclusions: This pilot project provided baseline data on staff and students’ understanding of and attitudes toward IPE/C in a multilevel geriatric centre and demonstrated that an IPE/C toolkit delivered via team workshops can enhance healthcare team attitudes. Next steps include expanding the rollout to other teams and introducing the toolkit to all staff and students.