University of Tasmania, Australia

An inter-professional learning workshop for first year MBBS and BParaPrac students

Project objective

To develop, deliver and evaluate an inter-professional learning event in semester 2, 2011, for year 1 MBBS and BParaPrac students.

Justification

Case-based learning (CBL) is used as a learning tool in both the MBBS and the BParaPrac courses in the School of Medicine. The project partners have identified an opportunity to use the CBL process to deliver an inter-professional learning session for year 1 medical and paramedic students.

We are interested in finding out how medical and paramedic students feel and react to the topic of interprofessional learning so that we can identify strategies students feel appropriate and useful, as well as overcome any identified barriers. Information we obtain will help us make informed decisions in addressing this topic which can then be incorporated in the design process of both the medical and paramedic curricula at UTAS.

Expected outcomes

In addition to specific teaching and learning and research outcomes for this project there are a number of general outcomes, including:

• Whilst this is an initial pilot, this project addresses standard 3.2.9 Interprofessional Education of the Australian Medical Council (AMC) accreditation standards (PDF 218.1 KB), as well as standard 3.1.8 Inter-professional research and 3.2.2 Paramedic Program Outcomes of the Paramedic accreditation standards published by the Council of Ambulance Authorities (CAA)
• This project provides an insight into the value of ongoing curriculum change to incorporate similar activities into both medical and paramedic programs.
• This project will enable output that can be published in peer reviewed journals exploring the project evaluation outcomes.

Teaching and learning outcomes

• Define the divisions of labour in hospital and community health service delivery in terms of paramedic, medical, nursing and other allied health disciplines and apply the principles of patient-centred care using a collaborative approach
• Engage in focused discussions on the specific roles of Paramedics and Emergency Physicians in the management of acute trauma
• Discuss and apply ideas for improved communication processes between professions
• Demonstrate the ability to work in an interprofessional environment, as part of a multidisciplinary team
• Apply knowledge from respective courses to a clinical scenario

This may provide the basis for incorporation of interprofessional education into medical and paramedic course curricula at UTAS.