Pedagogical Methods to Interprofessional Education

Colloquium
Jenny Sun Tjahjono,  Bertha O Alarcon,  Paul Simeteys,  Anne E Doan Van,  Elizabeth Andrews  

Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Care Curricula at WesternU College of Dental Medicine – Jenny Sun Tjahjono, DMD: The World Health Organization advocates the use of Interprofessional Education (IPE) to improve quality of patient care and health outcomes. Interprofessional collaborative care increases efficiency, decreases cost of healthcare, and minimizes medical errors. Western University of Health Sciences (WesternU) adopted this philosophy by incorporating IPE as a core curriculum for all students in nine graduate colleges. WesternU College of Dental Medicine has further advanced the IPE curriculum by developing innovative teaching methods and implementing interprofessional collaborative care. Standardized Patient Simulation and Collaboration with College of Graduate Nursing – Elizabeth Andrews, DDS, MS Dental students interact with students from various healthcare professions in both face-to-face and asynchronous small-group case discussions and exercises along with peer-to-peer and standardized patient simulations. Patient Triage and Collaboration with College of Pharmacy – Paul Simeteys. In clinical settings, dental students triage medically complex patients with pharmacists in order to reduce polypharmacy, avoid adverse drug interactions, and reinforce patient compliance with their medications. Multidisciplinary Care for Pediatric and Geriatric Patients – Anne Doan Van, DDS: Through collaboration with Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center, dental students and physicians work side-by-side serving oral surgery patients, pediatric patients in the community, and geriatric patients in Skilled Nursing Facilities. Case-based Simulation and Collaboration with College of Allied Health Professions – Bertha Alarcon, DDS: Physician assistant students participant in role playing and case discussions with dental faculty and students to further enhance their communication skills.