Implementation of an Interprofessional Medication Therapy Management Experience

Abstract

Objective. To measure the impact of an interprofessional experience (IPE) in medication therapy management (MTM) on students' attitudes and skills regarding interprofessional collaboration (IPC). Methods. This interprofessional MTM experience spanned three weeks, with health science students (medicine, nursing, nutrition, and pharmacy) meeting once weekly. The IPE facilitated interprofessional student collaboration via small-group sessions to conduct MTM consultations for patients with complex chronic conditions. Student learning and attitudinal changes were evaluated by comparing pre-and post-IPE survey responses and a qualitative summary of the students' clinical recommendations. Efficacy of student groups was measured via patient satisfaction surveys and was reported by frequency of response. Results. Twenty-seven students participated in the program and 22 completed both pre-and post-IPE surveys (81% response rate). The survey included open-ended and Likert-type items assessing students' attitudes and skills regarding the IPE as well as their reactions to the experience. Significant changes were observed for two attitudinal items regarding interprofessional teams: maintaining enthusiasm/interest and responsiveness to patients' emotional and financial needs. Patient-reported satisfaction and students' complex clinical recommendations provided further evidence of student learning. Conclusion. This novel IPE in MTM promoted interprofessional collaboration and education in this unique patient care area. Students' attitudes toward and skills in interprofessional collaboration improved, and the patients who received care reported positive experiences. Many health professions programs face challenges in meeting IPE requirements. The results of our study may provide the impetus for other institutions to develop similar programs to meet this urgent need.

Five ways for facilitators to get a grip on small group learning

“…As indicated above, to supplement our list of small group issues, we conducted a short, focused review of articles published in both 2018 and 2019 in health professions education journals. RZ (one of the authors) found 36 articles involving small groups from these journals: (numbers of articles in parentheses): Nurse Education Today (9), BMC Medical Education (9), Journal of Nursing Education (8), America Journal of Pharmaceutical Education (7), Academic Medicine (1), Journal of Veterinary Medical Education (1), and Journal of Dental Education (1). MD summarized the descriptions of how the groups in these studies were organized and facilitated into the five elements of CL.…”

Agreement of medicine and pharmacy students on quality of drug information

“…Interprofessional rotations are shown to improve students' educational experience and patient satisfaction with patient care. It is feasible and productive (Schussel et al, 2019). Students value participation in interprofessional rotations (Jebara et al, 2022).…”

Analysis of Learning Application of Interprofessional Education in Nursing Graduate Students with Medicine, Pharmaceutical and Nutrition in COVID-19 Era

“…In this pharmacokinetic simulation, nursing students conduct a head-to-toe assessment and pharmacy students collect the necessary information and data from the results of the nurse's assessment and calculate the required dose. This is supported by the research of Schussel (Schussel, Forbes, Taylor, & Cooley, 2019). This study carried out the implementation of IPE by means of Medication Therapy Management (MTM).…”