A review of interprofessional training wards: Enhancing student learning and patient outcomes

Abstract

Background: In an interprofessional training ward (ITW), students from different health professions collaboratively perform patient care with the goal of improving patient care. In the past two decades, ITWs have been established worldwide and studies have investigated their benefits. We aimed to compare ITWs with respect to their logistics, interprofessional learning outcomes and patient outcomes. Methods: We explored PubMed, CINAHL, Web of Science and EMBASE (1990-June 2017) and included articles focusing on interprofessional, in-patient training wards with student teams of medical and other health professions students. Two independent reviewers screened studies for eligibility and extracted data. Results: Thirty-seven articles from twelve different institutions with ITWs were included. ITWs worldwide are organized similarly with groups of 2-12 students (i.e. medical, nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and pharmacy) being involved in patient care, usually for a period of two weeks. However, the type of clinical ward and the way supervisors are trained differ. Conclusions: ITWs show promising results in short-term student learning outcomes and patient satisfaction rates. Future ITW studies should measure students' long-term interprofessional competencies using standardized tools. Furthermore, a research focus on the impact of ITWs on patient satisfaction and relevant patient care outcomes is important. Practice points ITWs show promising results in patient satisfaction rates and student outcomes. ITWs worldwide are organized in a comparable fashion with a group of 2-12 students providing patient care, usually for a period of two weeks. ITW programs should develop from very clear profession-and IP-specific learning goals. All programs would benefit from structured supervisor training.

Psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the TeamSTEPPS teamwork perceptions questionnaire to measure teamwork perceptions of Chinese residents: a cross-sectional study

“…Effective teamwork in healthcare not only augments patient's satisfaction but also decreases burnout among the health professionals. [1][2][3][4] The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), the Joint Commission and other institutions ranked teamwork as a dominant factor for enhancing the healthcare quality. 5 6 Furthermore, teamwork has been classified as an important competency to help optimise the healthcare services and poor teamwork could increase the medical errors and reduce patient safety.…”

Implementing MIA – Mannheim's interprofessional training ward: first evaluation results

“…The combination of IP and professional learning seems to work on the MIA – both are important for the future work as a health care professional and should not be treated separately [9], [22]. Consciously experiencing IP communication and collaboration during the MIA placement can help to recognise that the quality of patient care can be optimised by working as an IP team [23].…”

“…Sweden, along with Denmark, is a pioneer in establishing IP training wards as an integral part of the education of health care professionals. These countries have more than 20 years of experience in how students of medicine, nursing, physiotherapy (PT) and occupational therapy can plan, practise and reflect on the care of real patients in a team under supervision and do this in an accountable manner [5], [6], [7], [8], [9]. Supervision is a way of facilitating the learning processes on the IP training ward.…”

‘It benefits patient care’: the value of practice-based IPE in healthcare curriculums

“…Therefore, experiences of embedding practice-based IPE likely differ internationally. For instance, interprofessional training wards at acute hospitals are well established in Scandinavian countries [ 19 ], while rural and remote healthcare activities are often reported in Australia [ 20 ]. Geographical [ 21 ] and specific healthcare needs and resources [ 22 ] likely influenced the approach taken in these regions.…”