Discharge planning simulation: training the interprofessional team for the future workplace.

PURPOSE: The integration of interprofessional education (IPE) into health professions curricula offers a possible way to increase collaboration among health professionals. In this paper we introduce an innovative IPE model of a team-based discharge planning case scenario.

METHODS: Occupational therapy, physician assistant, and physical therapy students (n=173) participated in a discharge planning simulation (DPS) focused on a patient with a stroke and subsequent hip fracture. A discharge-planning meeting DVD was developed and disseminated to the students. Pre and post surveys were sent to the students.

OUTCOMES: Eighty-nine percent (n=153) of the students responded to the pre-DPS survey and 77% (n=132) responded to the post-DPS survey. There was no significant difference when comparing pre-DPS or post-DPS by program of study, but significant differences were found in three of the four questions when comparing individual answers.

CONCLUSION: Participation in the DPS model resulted in significant changes in perception of a student's individual role as well as the role of their interprofessional team members in discharge planning for the complex patient. Preliminary results indicate that this model can be a useful tool to effectively teach the interprofessional team.