Interdisciplinary Team Training in Geriatrics: Reaching Out to Small and Medium-Size Communities

Abstract

Since 1989, six teams in the state of Michigan have been involved in a team training program designed to promote the development of geriatric services in small to medium-size communities. The program was enthusiastically received by participants, but after 18 months, only half of the teams had implemented clinical services for older adults. Monitoring the progress of the teams over 18 months and analyzing the activities of two teams revealed that financially stable and supportive sponsoring agencies and the community were critical factors in the implementation of interdisciplinary clinical services in geriatrics. Future team training programs trying to promote the development of geriatric services in small to medium-size communities should try to address these issues through community organization interventions.

Evaluation of a Distance Learning Course in Geriatric Interdisciplinary Teaming

“…There is also evidence that the GITT initiative will have an impact beyond the trainee level, as changes among the faculty and management team members, the clinical sites, and the academic institutions have been noted (Howe, Mellor, & Cassel, 1999). Instructional models for fostering the team approach to diagnosis and care planning continue to be reported (Anderson, Persky-Neal, Whall, Campbell, & Algase, 1994;Betz, Raynor, & Turman, l998;Clark, 2000;Cole & Campbell, 1986;Heinemann, 1995;Koff, DeFriese, & Witzke, 1994;Toner, 1994). In addition, programs have documented the provision of successful opportunities for increased clinical and communication skills (Yankeelov, 1998), increases in knowledge about interdisciplinary team functioning (Lichtenberg, Strzepek, & Zeiss, 1990), improved self-ef cacy with respect to the complexities of geriatric care (Rosemond et al, 1999), and enhanced recognition of the nurse's role in the care of geriatric patients (Croen, Hamerman, & Goetzel, 1984).…”

Effectiveness of Nursing Home Staff as Managers of Disruptive Behavior: Perceptions of Nursing Directors

“…The community-based Geriatric Interdisciplinary Team Training demonstration project, 16 designed to improve general medical care for elderly persons in the community by conjoint training of providers from different professional disciplines, is a model well suited for adaptation to the nursing home setting, where interdisciplinary communication and collaboration are integral to good patient care. A nursing home interdisciplinary team training program should generate a common, evidence-based understanding of the causes and consequences of disruptive behavior; train members of each staff discipline to identify opportunities for prevention and treatment; and teach validated, specific, and practical interventions tailored to their unique roles in patient care.…”

Strategic Plan for Geriatrics and Extended Care in the Veterans Health Administration: Background, Plan, and Progress to Date

“…Since 2009, VHA has devoted hundreds of millions of dollars and hundreds of thousands of person‐hours to enhancing the environment of care and focusing clinicians on patient needs and preferences. Internal VHA change agents such as the Employee Education System, the Office of System Redesign, and the National Center for Organizational Development have implemented multiple processes and educational strategies to familiarize the full clinical workforce, and particularly primary care personnel, with team care concepts such as interdisciplinary planning and management, long staples of geriatrics . These efforts are redirecting VHA in the direction the strategic plan called for.…”