TY - JOUR

T1 - Interdisciplinary education

T2 - evaluation of palliative care training for pre-professionals.

AU - Fineberg, Iris Cohen

AU - Wenger, I. Neil S.

AU - Forrow, Lachlan

N1 - This paper reports on a palliative care educational programme geared towards social work masters students and medical students (in the US). The work was unusual in creating an interdisciplinary learning experience for post-graduate students, focusing on clinicians early in their educational and professional careers, and creating an experiential educational programme grounded in techniques that optimize active adult learning. The work was led by the author (a social worker and sociologist) but was the result of a collaboration between social work, medicine, nursing and pastoral care. RAE_import_type : Journal article RAE_uoa_type : Social Work and Social Policy & Administration

PY - 2004/8

Y1 - 2004/8

N2 - Purpose. Medical education inadequately prepares students for interdisciplinary collaboration, an essential component of palliative care and numerous other areas of clinical practice. This study developed and evaluated an innovative interdisciplinary educational program in palliative care designed to promote interdisciplinary exchange and understanding. Method. The study used a quasi-experimental longitudinal design. Thirty-three medical students (third and fourth year) and 38 social work students (second year of masters degree) were recruited. The intervention group students (21 medical and 24 social work students) participated in a series of four training sessions over four weeks while the control group students received written materials after the study. The curriculum and teaching methods were based on theories of professional socialization and experiential learning. The intervention included experiential methods to promote interdisciplinary interaction to foster communication, exchange of perspectives, and the building of mutual trust and respect. Both groups completed assessments of perceived role understanding, a primary component of effective interdisciplinary teamwork, in palliative care. Self-administered surveys were completed at baseline, intervention completion, and three months later. The intervention group also completed an anonymous evaluation about the interdisciplinary education. Results. The intervention group demonstrated a significant increase in perceived role understanding compared with the control group. Three-month follow-up data suggested that intervention group subjects maintained gains in perceived role understanding. Conclusion. An interdisciplinary educational intervention improves role understanding early in the process of professional socialization in a pilot program. Further implementation of interdisciplinary education should evaluate the effect on subsequent interdisciplinary practice and the quality of patient care. (C) 2004 Association of American Medical Colleges

AB - Purpose. Medical education inadequately prepares students for interdisciplinary collaboration, an essential component of palliative care and numerous other areas of clinical practice. This study developed and evaluated an innovative interdisciplinary educational program in palliative care designed to promote interdisciplinary exchange and understanding. Method. The study used a quasi-experimental longitudinal design. Thirty-three medical students (third and fourth year) and 38 social work students (second year of masters degree) were recruited. The intervention group students (21 medical and 24 social work students) participated in a series of four training sessions over four weeks while the control group students received written materials after the study. The curriculum and teaching methods were based on theories of professional socialization and experiential learning. The intervention included experiential methods to promote interdisciplinary interaction to foster communication, exchange of perspectives, and the building of mutual trust and respect. Both groups completed assessments of perceived role understanding, a primary component of effective interdisciplinary teamwork, in palliative care. Self-administered surveys were completed at baseline, intervention completion, and three months later. The intervention group also completed an anonymous evaluation about the interdisciplinary education. Results. The intervention group demonstrated a significant increase in perceived role understanding compared with the control group. Three-month follow-up data suggested that intervention group subjects maintained gains in perceived role understanding. Conclusion. An interdisciplinary educational intervention improves role understanding early in the process of professional socialization in a pilot program. Further implementation of interdisciplinary education should evaluate the effect on subsequent interdisciplinary practice and the quality of patient care. (C) 2004 Association of American Medical Colleges

U2 - 10.1097/00001888-200408000-00012

DO - 10.1097/00001888-200408000-00012

M3 - Journal article

VL - 79

SP - 769

EP - 776

JO - Academic Medicine

JF - Academic Medicine

SN - 1040-2446

IS - 8

ER -