The Interprofessional Education Exchange: The Impact of a Faculty Development Program in Interprofessional Palliative Oncology Education on Trainee Competencies, Skills, and Satisfaction

Abstract

Background: The interprofessional education exchange (iPEX) provides education, training, and mentoring to select interprofessional faculty trainee teams for development and implementation of interprofessional education (IPE) in palliative oncology. Objective: To evaluate the impact of the iPEX project on trainees' self-efficacy in IPE skills and IPE competencies. Design: A pre-/post-test design was used to evaluate trainees' progress. Trainees rated project components and developed IPE curricula in palliative oncology. Setting/Subjects: Sixteen United States-based faculty teams consisting of four to five members representing three or more disciplines completed the one-year faculty development project consisting of webinars, online interactive modules, a face-to-face workshop, mentoring, and assistance. The exchange of ideas, means for overcoming obstacles, collaborative teaching techniques, and curriculum development guidelines were integrated into the program. Measurements: Standardized measures of self-efficacy in IPE skills (Interprofessional Facilitation Skills Checklist) and IPE competencies (Core Competencies for Interprofessional Practice Individual Competency Assessment Tool) were used. Trainees rated the effectiveness of the project components on a scale of 1–5 (1 = not at all effective, 5 = extremely effective) and reported their plan for IPE palliative care curricula at their home institution. Results: Pre and post-paired samples t -test scores ( n = 78) on both standardized instruments for IPE skills and competencies were significantly different ( p < 0.001). Ratings of project components ranged from 3.97 to 4.90. Each team successfully developed a unique plan for IPE in palliative oncology. Conclusions: Multimodal faculty development and mentoring are successful means for improving self-assessed IPE skills and competencies.