Mixed Messages: Untangling Interprofessional Communication in Health Care Students - Phase I results

Staff communication was the primary cause of 65% of hospital sentinel events between 1995 and 2004” (Zhang, Thompson, & Miller, 2011). Effective interprofessional communication has shown to be a paramount factor not only in improving overall patient outcomes, but to directly impact employee satisfaction and retention in the healthcare setting positively.  An interprofessional project was developed in an attempt to improve overall communication between pre-licensure healthcare students from different disciplines. Participants include 3^rd and 4^th year medical students, Physician Assistant students, and Second Degree Bachelor of Science in Nursing students. Students complete clinical scenarios; trauma, operating room, pre-operative and post-operative, requiring clinical skills, problem solving, and clear communication between team members. Utilizing the Louise and Clay Wood Simulation Center, scenarios are recorded and analyzed by programmatic faculty proctors. Practice time for procedures is allowed and scenarios are scored to improve assessment of results. Debriefing provides circular feedback to student colleagues.

During Phase 1 of the project, quantitative data was collected through use of pre- and post-surveys. The survey asked 8 questions assessing the student’s comfort level when working with interprofessional team members and were based on the TEAMSTEPPS model (American Institutes for Research, 2010).  Debriefing followed the Plus-Minus-Delta format, allowing students to self-assess strengths, weakness, and identify means of improvement.  The post-survey added three qualitative questions regarding satisfaction level, benefits of the exercise, and willingness to participate in future exercises. Substantial growth in perceived efficacy was demonstrated in each group of participants and all participants were willing to participate in additional exercises.  Students reported the benefits learning from their mistakes, increased valuing of their role in the healthcare team, and a better understanding of the roles of other disciplines.

The interprofessional project indicated formalized communication training utilizing simulation scenarios can and will enhance teamwork and improve clinical outcomes amongst patients. Future plans are being made to gather post-graduation data by surveying not only post-licensure participants, but their supervisors as well, regarding their interprofessional communication skills compared to other recent graduates. The development of an interprofessional curriculum is the final goal of this project to be piloted on the Permian Basin Campus in Odessa, Texas with the aim to integrate formal interprofessional education into the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center system.

References

American Institutes for Research. (2010). TeamSTEPPS Teamwork Perceptions Questionnaire (T-TPQ) Manual. Retrieved from http://teamstepps.ahrq.gov/Teamwork_Perception_Questionnaire.pdf

Zhang, C, Thompson, S, and Miller, C. (2011). A review of simulation-based interprofessional education. Clinical Simulation in Nursing, 7(4); 117-126.