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Background/Rationale - East Tennessee State University developed four interprofessional (IP) team-based education and practice clinics from within an already established network of nine nurse-managed clinics. The purpose of these IP clinic teams is to build capacity for interprofessional practice (IPP) and deliver effective health management to patients with multiple chronic conditions (MCC) through evidence-based practice to improve health outcomes in underserved populations. Description of Innovative Approach - This project took the innovative approach of acknowledging the specialized knowledge, skills, and contributions of nursing, pharmacy, and nutrition specialties, empowering each discipline to be an active decision-maker in the healthcare team. The IP team embedded themselves in existing nurse managed clinics, conducting “student led” clinics at the various sites. A Clinical Fellows Model was utilized to enhance the students learning experience and to promote IPP upon graduation. Challenges and Strategies of IP Team Development - During the first year of the project, the IP team overcame barriers with purposeful strategy which has created unique opportunities for the remaining grant period. Challenges and barriers were overcome with attention to building team collaboration through education and familiarity with working in the interprofessional setting. Discussion – The Clinical Fellows Model was derived from four IP competencies: roles and responsibilities, values and ethics, teamwork, and communication. The student led IP clinics have grown in the number of sites and disciplines supporting East Tennessee State University’s vision of true interprofessional education and practice for managing patients with MCC.

Evidence has been generated and synthesized to support enhanced outcomes in healthcare environments supportive of interprofessional practice. Despite the preponderance of evidence, many health professions education programs do not prepare their students for interprofessional practice. Multiple factors influence the integration of interprofessional education into a program’s curricular offerings including availability of potential partnering professions, conflicting schedules, lack of curricular alignment, and logistical challenges. This manuscript describes initiatives and innovations used to replace health profession and institutional silos with interprofessional and cross-institutional collaboration in Fort Worth, Texas, USA. While the initial point of connection involved the administrators and faculty members from Texas Christian University and the University of North Texas Health Science Center collaborating to create interprofessional training opportunities for health professions students, this collaboration continues to generate new innovations and cooperative initiatives. These initiatives include research projects supported by significant external funding awards and a decision by the leaders of the two institutions to collaborate to develop a new medical school.

Nutrition education is an integral part of dental education as well as a variety of other healthcare professions1, but interprofessional education (IPE) between the fields of dietetics and dental hygiene is limited. The purpose of this pilot study was to define areas of opportunity to establish a foundation for the implementation of complimentary curriculum between the dietetics and dental hygiene programs at ETSU. A 76-question survey was developed and administered to dietetic interns (n=26), dental hygiene students (n=49), dietetic faculty (n=23), and dental hygiene faculty (n=19) at ETSU and Baylor College of Dentistry at Texas A&M Health Science Center. Data analysis reveals a knowledge proficiency deficit in dental hygiene students related to nutrition and oral health as well as significant findings in perceived roles of the ‘other’ profession. The potential for interdisciplinary education and training between dietetic and dental hygiene students at ETSU is promising, potentially leading to improved patient care.

Poor interprofessional communication has been linked to decreased quality of patient care and increased numbers of medical errors. Increased occupational stress due to lack of effective interprofessional communication can lead to poor job satisfaction and burnout. The purpose of this study was to identify barriers to interprofessional communication as perceived by radiologic technologists. In particular, how did demographic data influence these perceptions? The research was conducted during June of 2009. The population for this survey consisted of registered radiologic technologists employed at hospitals in Northeast Tennessee. A survey questionnaire covering the subject of interprofessional communication was distributed to a cluster sample directly involved in patient care. An ANOVA was used to determine which barriers were significantly greater. A TUKEY HSD post hoc analysis was used when influences were significantly different. Participants indicated that interprofessional communication affects their occupational stress and job satisfaction in addition to the quality of patient care. This analysis revealed that radiographers experienced the most difficulty communicating with nurses.

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Define the role/function of an interprofessional team in the management of complex outpatients. Identify the types of patients that would benefit most from a team-based approach. Implement elements of our team-based patient care model into individual practices.