Alan W Dow1, Peter A Boling, Kelly S Lockeman, Paul E Mazmanian, Moshe Feldman, Deborah DiazGranados, Joel Browning, Antoinette Coe, Rachel Selby-Penczak, Sarah Hobgood, Linda Abbey, Pamela Parsons, Jeffrey Delafuente, Suzanne F Taylor. 1. A.W. Dow is assistant vice president of health sciences for interprofessional education and collaborative care and professor of medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, Virginia. P.A. Boling is chair, Division of Geriatrics, and professor of medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, Virginia. K.S. Lockeman is assistant professor of medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, Virginia. P.E. Mazmanian is associate dean of assessment and evaluation studies and professor of medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, Virginia. M. Feldman is assistant professor of medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, Virginia. D. DiazGranados is assistant professor of medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, Virginia. J. Browning is director of academic information systems, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, Virginia. A. Coe is a graduate student, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Pharmacy, Richmond, Virginia. R. Selby-Penczak is assistant professor of medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, Virginia. S. Hobgood is assistant professor of medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, Virginia. L. Abbey is associate professor of medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, Virginia. P. Parsons is associate professor of nursing and medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, Virginia. J. Delafuente is associate dean of academic affairs and professor of pharmacy, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, Virginia. S.F. Taylor is instructor of occupational therapy, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, Virginia.
Abstract
PURPOSE: Today, clinical care is often provided by interprofessional virtual teams-groups of practitioners who work asynchronously and use technology to communicate. Members of such teams must be competent in interprofessional practice and the use of information technology, two targets for health professions education reform. The authors created a Web-based case system to teach and assess these competencies in health professions students. METHOD: They created a four-module, six-week geriatric learning experience using a Web-based case system. Health professions students were divided into interprofessional virtual teams. Team members received profession-specific information, entered a summary of this information into the case system's electronic health record, answered knowledge questions about the case individually, then collaborated asynchronously to answer the same questions as a team. Individual and team knowledge scores and case activity measures--number of logins, message board posts/replies, views of message board posts--were tracked. RESULTS: During academic year 2012-2013, 80 teams composed of 522 students from medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and social work participated. Knowledge scores varied by profession and within professions. Team scores were higher than individual scores (P < .001). Students and teams with higher knowledge scores had higher case activity measures. Team score was most highly correlated with number of message board posts/replies and was not correlated with number of views of message board posts. CONCLUSIONS: This Web-based case system provided a novel approach to teach and assess the competencies needed for virtual teams. This approach may be a valuable new tool for measuring competency in interprofessional practice.
PURPOSE: Today, clinical care is often provided by interprofessional virtual teams-groups of practitioners who work asynchronously and use technology to communicate. Members of such teams must be competent in interprofessional practice and the use of information technology, two targets for health professions education reform. The authors created a Web-based case system to teach and assess these competencies in health professions students. METHOD: They created a four-module, six-week geriatric learning experience using a Web-based case system. Health professions students were divided into interprofessional virtual teams. Team members received profession-specific information, entered a summary of this information into the case system's electronic health record, answered knowledge questions about the case individually, then collaborated asynchronously to answer the same questions as a team. Individual and team knowledge scores and case activity measures--number of logins, message board posts/replies, views of message board posts--were tracked. RESULTS: During academic year 2012-2013, 80 teams composed of 522 students from medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and social work participated. Knowledge scores varied by profession and within professions. Team scores were higher than individual scores (P < .001). Students and teams with higher knowledge scores had higher case activity measures. Team score was most highly correlated with number of message board posts/replies and was not correlated with number of views of message board posts. CONCLUSIONS: This Web-based case system provided a novel approach to teach and assess the competencies needed for virtual teams. This approach may be a valuable new tool for measuring competency in interprofessional practice.