The Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), Linking Interprofessional Networks for Collaboration (LINC), is a requirement for institutional accreditation designed to advance interprofessional education (IPE) at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio). All five schools (dentistry, graduate biomedical sciences, health professions, medicine, and nursing) are actively engaged in achieving QEP goals: to integrate IPE activities into programs’ curricula and to cultivate IPE knowledge and skills in faculty, staff, and students. UT Health San Antonio has reconciled these goals with guidance for quality IPE jointly developed by the Health Professions Accreditors Collaborative (HPAC) and the National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education.
The HPAC guidance challenges educators to design and assess didactic IPE activities with intention and to sequence these strategically with other types of IPE learning experiences, such as those that take place in interprofessional clinical learning environments. To meet this challenge, LINC established a university-wide, interprofessional workgroup with representation from all schools, two simulation centers, and the library. The workgroup is actively engaged in the identification of high impact practices in simulation-based IPE with the primary goal of transforming faculty development in this area.
Early discussions and explorations highlighted the diversity of IPE simulation activities, which underscored previously identified shortcomings of a one-size-fits-all approach to IPE design, assessment, and faculty development. The promise of IPE simulation to extend the interprofessional clinical learning environment was also noted, which was reinforced as clinical rotation sites closed to students as a result of COVID-19. The group pursued a scoping review in this area to support efforts at identifying high impact practices. This lightning talk will explore the shared decision-making processes within the workgroup, results of the scoping review, and implications for faculty development programs at UT Health San Antonio and academic institutions elsewhere.
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.
