An Innovative, Arts-Based Approach to Interprofessional Education

Abstract

Obesity is a global health concern that is challenging to address at the health system level. This is partly because health professionals perceive themselves to be poorly equipped to effectively handle weight management issues. Compounding this are the biases held by health professionals towards clients living with excess weight. This project aimed to address these biases among health professionals through the use of live, dramatic arts as a pedagogical tool to disseminate findings from an original research study that explored multiple health system perspectives on weight management. Using an interprofessional learning format, the research team facilitated four, interprofessional education (IPE) workshops in universities across Atlantic Canada with health professional students and their faculty. Post-workshop evaluations indicate that the workshop was well received; the live, dramatic presentation of professional-client perspectives on obesity management was effective for not only facilitating understanding about the original research findings, but in provoking thought about issues of weight management and providing an opportunity for attendees to engage in interprofessional learning. The majority of participants perceived that this workshop would positively benefit them in their future work as health professionals.