Discussion surrounding interprofessional education (IPE) among graduate and professional health sciences students is beginning to appear more frequently in academic journals, government reports, and health care reform recommendations. Recommendations from an international conference cited in the Lancet provide an interesting overview from world leaders about interprofessional care and its ability to improve health system performance. Since 1995, the Academic Health Sciences Center (AHSC) at East Tennessee State University (ETSU) has shown the value of IPE and continues to do so through the Interprofessional Education Program (IPEP). In this study, a focus group was conducted in fall 2014 to collect qualitative data on AHSC students’ perceptions of IPE and interprofessional training at ETSU. Two out of five AHSC colleges were represented by a total of four focus group participants. These participants included students from the Colleges of Public Health and Medicine, as well as a student from the Department of Psychology and one medical resident. Through use of a semi-structured interview procedure, a skilled facilitator asked participants to describe their academic experiences related to IPE at ETSU. A series of open-ended questions were presented in order to determine the general perceptions, attitudes, barriers, and beliefs of health science students regarding interprofessional experiences. The focus group was audio- and video- recorded, and the recordings were transcribed by the author. Four study staff members met and conducted separate thematic analyses to determine consensus on overarching themes from transcriptions. Themes identified through these analyses included: 1) specific emphasis on the importance of communication; 2) respect for the academic rigor of other health profession programs; 3) the desire for more IPE opportunities; and 4) having a positive and open mind was a characteristic considered impactful interprofessional education. The implications of these findings and considerations for methodological improvements will be discussed.

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The psychosocial needs of couples impacted by aphasia are often unmet. Sixty-one marriage and family therapists' (MFTs) experiences, perceived knowledge, confidence, comfort, and barriers in working with couples impacted by aphasia, and their interactions with speech-language pathologists (SLPs) were investigated using survey methodology. All MFTs were licensed, practicing in the US, and had at least 3 years of experience. Participants completed the following in order: (a) a pre-intervention survey, (b) one of two intervention conditions, and (c) a post-intervention survey. Twenty-eight respondents were randomly assigned to an education-alone intervention and 33 respondents were assigned to an education plus Relationship-Centered Communication Partner Training program (RC-CPT). The results of the present study suggest that MFTs who participated in this survey consider providing therapy to couples impacted by aphasia to fall within their scope of practice and already feel comfortable with various skills needed to provide therapy to this population. Aphasia education alone and education plus RC-CPT can both improve MFTs' knowledge, confidence, and comfort in working with couples impacted by aphasia but being shown a model of RC-CPT likely helped MFTs better visualize therapy, which bolstered changes in respondents' perceptions. Future development of RC-CPT should prioritize MFT involvement as collaborators and consultants. Continuing education courses and interprofessional collaboration are needed to better address the psychosocial needs of people with aphasia (PWA) from an interdisciplinary perspective.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating disease with no cure. An interdisciplinary care model is the treatment standard for patients with ALS (PALS). An interprofessional ALS clinic provides PALS and their families with evidence-based care that focuses on improved quality of life and optimization of medical services. This lightening talk will highlight how an interprofessional group of providers serving in an out-patient ALS clinic shifted their practice during the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure patients and their families received the care and guidance needed to navigate their disease process. The clinic team is composed of professionals from neurology, speech language pathology, respiratory care, nutrition, occupational therapy, physical therapy, social work, pharmacy, equipment specialist, and nursing (representing the ALS Association). Our discussion will provide the audience with a modified telehealth model that could be replicated within their own interprofessional clinic setting. This IP team was able to maintain continuity of care and meaningful connections with our PALS during an unprecedented time, through interviewing, screening, remote assessment, debriefing, and follow ups with patients and primary caregivers. As vaccinations became available to healthcare providers and specific patient populations, we responded by shifting to a hybrid model. Many PALS and their caregivers expressed gratitude for the telehealth option as they were fearful to attend an in-person visit, but hesitant to miss a clinical appointment due to their multifaceted needs. Additionally, as the condition progresses, traveling to an office, pandemic or not, becomes a significant burden for PALS and their caregivers. As things return to a new-normal, modified telehealth should be considered as a viable option for those taking care of PALS in order to maintain the delivery of services, obtain the essential equipment in this patient population, and provide caregiver support.