Hotspotting is the identification and engagement of the highest utilizing, highest cost patients, whose unmet complex health and social needs land them repeatedly in emergency departments and hospitals. Coined ‘Super-utilizers’, these individuals receive services that are not only costly, but often fragmented and ineffective. Student Hotspotting, pioneered by the Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers in 2014, trains the next generation of health professionals to work in interprofessional teams to better understand the major problems of our healthcare system through the patient’s perspective. Student teams assist vulnerable patients in setting personal goals, navigating the healthcare system, and connecting with community resources.
Thomas Jefferson University (TJU) was 1 of 10 teams across the nation selected to participate in the first cohort of Student Hotspotting in 2014. In 2017, TJU was recognized as 1 of 4 national “hotspotting hubs,” scaling up to 8 teams at TJU, and guiding several teams from other institutions. Currently, the TJU Hotspotting Hub includes an annual cohort of nearly 50 interprofessional healthcare students from seven professions. Under the supervision of interprofessional faculty advisors, students have the opportunity to learn about the lived experience of these individuals - their strengths, challenges, and barriers to care. Students develop a deeper understanding of the failures of our current healthcare system and the role of social determinants of health on patient outcomes. This innovative curriculum aligns well with two of the Summit’s themes, including: Optimizing practice in the clinical learning environment and People/patients, caregivers, families and communities at the center of care.
At the end of the hotspotting experience, student teams share a capstone poster presentation describing their work. These posters convey information regarding patient demographics, patient-identified goals, team interventions, and barriers to implementing team interventions. In this lightning talk, we will present findings from student posters collected from 2014-2020.
In support of improving patient care, this activity is planned and implemented by The National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education. The National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
As a Jointly Accredited Provider, the National Center is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved under this program. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. The National Center maintains responsibility for this course. Social workers completing this course receive continuing education credits.
This activity was planned by and for the healthcare team, and learners will receive Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) credit for learning and change.
